KUWAIT/ WASHINGTON: Kuwait’s attorney general has called for strict guidelines to ensure that children are adequately protected from the potential dangers associated with social media. Chief among the new guidelines is introducing age restrictions requiring social media users to be at least 13 years of age, the justice ministry cited Dharar Al-Asousi as saying in a statement yesterday. It strictly prohibited the commercial exploitation of children on social media websites, with the exception of “positive advertisements” for products that usually bear the likeness of kids.
Examples of positive adverts usually deal with philanthropic deeds, healthcare and education, all of which leave a lasting impression on the lives of children, the statement clarified. Any material deemed as an invasion of privacy or an intrusion into the personal lives of children is not allowed, in addition to the exploitation of children for financial gain, it added. Such topics usually create fodder for conversation that steers away from proper decorum instead of depicting exceptional and talented children in a positive light, the statement explained. The justice ministry added that all necessary measures will be taken to ensure that these guidelines are strictly enforced.

Meanwhile, researchers have found “different patterns” in brain scans among children who record heavy smart device and video game use, according to initial data from a major ongoing US study. The first wave of information from the $300 million National Institute of Health (NIH) study is showing that those nine and 10-year-old kids spending more than seven hours a day using such devices show signs of premature thinning of the cortex, the brain’s outermost layer that processes sensory information.
“We don’t know if it’s being caused by the screen time. We don’t know yet if it’s a bad thing,” said Gaya Dowling, an NIH doctor working on the project, explaining the preliminary findings in an interview with the CBS news program 60 Minutes. “What we can say is that this is what the brains look like of kids who spend a lot of time on screens. And it’s not just one pattern,” Dowling said. The NIH data reported on CBS also showed that kids who spend more than two hours a day on screens score worse on language and reasoning tests.

The study – which involves scanning the brains of 4,500 children – eventually aims to show whether screen time is addictive, but researchers need several years to understand such long-term outcomes. “In many ways, the concern that investigators like I have is, that we’re sort of in the midst of a natural kind of uncontrolled experiment on the next generation of children,” Dimitri Christakis, a lead author of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ most recent guidelines on screen time, told 60 Minutes. Initial data from the study will begin to be released in early 2019. The academy now recommends parents “avoid digital media use – except video chatting – in children younger than 18 to 24 months”. – Agencies

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KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was admitted to hospital yesterday for “regular medical examinations” and they were “successful”, Minister of Amiri Diwan Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah said. Sheikh Ali prayed to Allah the Almighty to bestow blessing and grace upon HH the Amir, who already left the hospital. – KUNA

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Amir attends inauguration of Al-Tareef Cultural Neighborhood District

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday thanked Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz for chairing the GCC summit, which contributed to positive outcome. His Highness the Amir, in a cable to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques following his return from Riyadh, said the resolutions of the one-day summit would achieve further prosperity and progress “for our countries and people.”
His Highness the Amir also expressed content for participation in the inauguration of Al-Tareef Cultural District in Riyadh. His Highness the Amir had joined the GCC leaders Sunday in the inauguration of Al-Tareef Cultural District, which supplemented the GCC summit, in a ceremony patronized and attended by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.

The project aims to showcase the development of the historic neighborhood through its transformation into a globally-recognized touristic cultural center, Saudi Press Agency reported. The location has many historic, cultural, urban and environmental characteristics that would place it amongst the world’s most renowned cultural sites. The neighborhood overlooks Huthaifa Valley in the Diriya region, located at the heart of the Arabian Peninsula. Once the center of command of the First Saudi State, it consists of a fort, palaces, homes and mosques that date back to the 18th century.

Unity of member states
The 39th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit concluded in Riyadh on Sunday, after which leaders of the GCC reaffirmed keenness on unity of member countries, calling for achieving full-fledge integration, and forming a “single and effective” foreign policy. Leaders of the six Arab Gulf states acknowledged the threats that undermined security and stability of the region, calling for cementing efforts for a collective action to honor aspirations of the GCC people, said the ‘Riyadh Declaration’ released after the conclusion of the summit.

The GCC leaders reaffirmed keenness on maintaining unity of member countries and noted their Gulf bloc realized many achievements that contributed to regional security, stability, economic and social prosperity. They said challenges required further efforts to achieve integration at economic, social, political, security and military levels, said the declaration. They called for completing programs and projects needed to honor Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz’s integration vision to ultimately boost the regional and international role of the GCC. They called for addressing all obstacles to achieve economic integration by 2025 and to complete requirement for creation of the common market and custom union.
The GCC leaders appointed a commander for the joint military command to advance towards completion of the joint defense system, while underlining importance of the bloc’s role in addressing extreme ideologies through promotion of moderation, tolerance, human rights, rule of law and Islamic sharia .They called for joining hands with partners within the international community to eliminate terrorism and drying its financing resources. The leaders also called for forming a “single and effective” foreign policy to be based on the statute, noted the declaration. They reiterated support for the Palestinian cause and the Yemeni people.

Upon his return to Kuwait after chairing the country’s delegation to the summit, His Highness the Amir was received by His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, as well as senior government officials. His Highness the Amir was seen off at the airport in Riyadh by head of the mission of honor, Royal Court Advisor Prince Turki bin Mohammad bin Fahad bin Abdulaziz, and Ambassadors of the two countries.
His Highness the Amir was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Finance Minister Nayef Al-Hajraf, Amiri Diwan Undersecretary and Director of His Highness the Amir’s office Ahmad Al-Fahad, Head of Amiri Protocols Sheikh Khaled Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah, head of Media and Culture Affiars at Amiri Diwan Yusuf Al-Roumi, Head of Amiri diwan’s Political and Economic Affairs Sheikh Fawaz Saud Al-Sabah, and Assistant Foreign Minister for the Minister’s office Ambassador Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah. – KUNA

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Court sentences issued against 500 employers for visa trafficking: Minister

KUWAIT: Farwaniya Governor Sheikh Faisal Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah stressed the need to work on resolving the problem of Kuwait’s demographic imbalance immediately in order to limit the spread of crimes and incidents that are considered ‘strange’ in Kuwait, especially in view of the surge of illegal and marginal laborers throughout the governorate. He hailed the efforts exerted by the Public for Authority Manpower in fighting visa traffickers through decisions such as the recent ban on residency transfer for three years from the date of the issuance of the work permit.
Sheikh Faisal also noted that he was among the first who called to fight illegal workers, as they cost state-funded public facilities considerable amounts of money and provide a perfect environment for crimes. Finally, he called for imposing strict laws on whoever takes Kuwait’s safety and security lightly and setting strict measures for expats.

Visa traffickers
Meanwhile, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and State Minister for Economic Affairs Hind Al-Sabeeh said several visa traffickers were referred to the public prosecution and then to courts. Court sentences were issued against nearly 500 employers, including jail sentences and fines reaching KD 2 million. Sabeeh was speaking during the signing of a memorandum of understanding with regards to the national program for decent work jobs under her patronage at the United Nations House in the presence of the Regional Director of the International Labor Organization Dr Ruba Jaradat, Director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Rabah Al-Rabah and President of Kuwait Labor Union Salem Al-Ajmi.
She said that some sentences were appealed and some were not, and the ministry follows the litigation steps under the Kuwaiti judiciary, while confirming the practice of checking violating companies in cooperation with partners in the private sector and in countries that send labor to Kuwait to stop offices that abuse workers inside and outside Kuwait. When asked about the possibility of issuing decisions related to organization of the marketplace soon, she said: “There are many decisions to be issued soon following the meeting of the Manpower Public Authority’s board of directors that was held recently, as several decisions were approved and will be announced in the coming period.”

Development projects
A recently published government document showed that Kuwait spent KD 1.37 billion on development projects until Oct 2018 of the fiscal year 2018-2019, which includes a KD 3.8 billion budget for development projects, which means that 36.1 percent of the budget has been spent so far. The document also justified the reduction of the budget set by the finance ministry for development projects over the past three years by reducing the number of projects as a result of using new project selection methods.
The document added that 957 development projects had been executed during the fiscal years 2015/2016, 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 with a total cost of KD 11.5 billion, of which KD 8.7 billion had been actually spent on the projects. Further, the document showed that the fiscal year 2017/2018 witnessed executing 149 development projects with a total value of KD 2.9 billion, of which KD 2.5 billion (86.4 percent) was actually spent, while 279 projects with a total value of KD 2.9 billion were executed in 2016/2017.
In addition, the documents showed that development projects during the three fiscal years faced 538 challenges, topped by administrative problems and red tape which recurred 182 times, technical problems, legislative problems and monitoring problems.

By A Saleh

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KUWAIT: Prominent opposition lawmaker Shuaib Al-Muwaizri yesterday ignored for the second time an invitation by the legal committee to discuss the constitutionality of a grilling he had submitted against the prime minister. The government claimed that the grilling violated the constitution and argued that it must be reviewed by the legal committee to see if it complies with the constitution to be debated. Opposition MPs strongly rejected the move, which was approved by pro-government lawmakers and all present Cabinet ministers.

The legal committee last week invited Muwaizri to hear his opinion on the issue but he abstained. The committee then invited Muwaizri again for yesterday’s meeting, but he again ignored the invitation. The lawmaker did not make any comment on the issue, but it is clear that he is annoyed by the Assembly’s decision to refer the grilling to the legal committee. Rapporteur of the panel MP Khalil Abul said the committee will not invite Muwaizri again but its report to the Assembly will not be ready for debate today, but for the Dec 25 session.

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KUWAIT: The National Assembly’s legal and legislative committee yesterday approved a draft law stipulating a mandatory health insurance scheme for expatriates living and working in the country.

The committee also approved a proposal to impose charges on medical services for expatriates opting to seek treatment at public hospitals. At present, expatriates are required to pay KD 50 annually on renewal of their residence permits and also pay partial fees for most health services at public hospitals. The opinion of the government, which is crucial for the passage of the bill, was not explained.

The new bill comes even as the government and the Assembly had approved a law to establish hospitals for the treatment of expatriates only. The Assembly is expected to debate today a draft law calling to impose obligatory health insurance on foreigners who visit the country. The bill stipulates that before issuing a visit visa to a foreigner, the sponsor must attach a health insurance policy to the application. The committee also approved a draft law granting Kuwaiti employees and pensioners a KD 50 monthly allowance for fuel. The move comes a couple of years after the government raised the prices of fuel for both expatriates and Kuwaitis.
The Assembly is also expected to debate today the controversial early retirement law amid strong rejection by several lawmakers. The bill was approved by the Assembly’s financial and economic affairs committee after consultations with the government and accepting some of the government’s terms. MPs opposed to the new format say that the bill has been totally manipulated to be in line with government demands. The law, which allows Kuwaiti male and female civil servants to retire early, was passed by the Assembly in the last term but was rejected by the government. MPs want Kuwaiti employees to retire five years ahead of the legal retirement age but still enjoy full benefits.

By B Izzak

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Argentina seeks boosting investment, economic ties with Kuwait: Minister

KUWAIT: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received at Bayan Palace yesterday Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, accompanied by Argentinian Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie and his accompanying delegation during their visit to the country.

Speaker of the National Assembly Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanem also received the visiting Argentinian Minister at his office yesterday. During the meeting, both sides discussed standing relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them, in addition to other subjects of mutual concerns. The meeting was attended by Assistant Foreign Minister for the Americas Reem Al-Khaled, Kuwait Ambassador to Argentina Abdullah Al-Yahya, and the Argentinian Ambassador to Kuwait Jorge Pega. His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah also met with the visiting Argentinian Foreign Minister at Bayan Palace.

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Finance Minister Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf held talks with Minister Faurie, focusing on economic cooperation. The South American nation has shown a profound desire to boost investment and economic ties with Kuwait, the finance ministry said in a statement. A number of deals are expected to be sealed in the near future to bring that goal to fruition, it added.

His Highness the Crown Prince also received yesterday the outgoing Ambassador of Mauritania to Kuwait Hamid Hamouny and Slovakian Ambassador to Kuwait Pavel Svitek on the occasion of their tenure ending. Furthermore, His Highness received Kuwait’s Counsel General in Irbil Omar Al-Kandari as he handed His Highness a book of Kuwait’s humanitarian activities in Iraq since 2015. Attending these meetings was the Director of protocols at His Highness’ Diwan, Sheikh Mubarak Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah.

In other news, First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah received at the National Assembly yesterday Croatia’s Ambassador to Kuwait Amir Muharemi. The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest and ways of boosting bilateral ties between the two countries. – KUNA

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KUWAIT: A jealous wife who had been suspecting her husband’s behavior and had been tailing him, yesterday found he is married to another woman, so she attacked both her husband and his secret wife at their apartment in Hawally, said security sources. Case papers indicate that a report was filed about women fighting in Hawally, and on reporting at the scene, detectives found the two women had been fighting because the first wife found out her husband was secretly married to another woman. The sources added that despite the husband’s pleas, the second wife insisted on filing a break-in and assault case. Further investigations are in progress. – By A Saleh

No injuries in fire
KUWAIT: Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD) said that it received a report about a fire in the parking lot of Kuwait real estate market near Souq Mubarakiya yesterday morning. When firemen rushed to the scene, they found out that the blaze had broken out in a 40 sq m warehouse on the second floor of the parking building. The fire was controlled without any casualties reported, KFSD said. Further investigations are in progress to determine the cause of the fire. – By A Saleh

‘Domestic help’ violations
KUWAIT: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry referred 14 domestic help offices to the commercial affairs prosecution due to violation of ministry decisions with regards to setting recruitment fees to bring in helpers. It said a delegation was formed by the Cabinet headed by Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Al-Sabeeh to visit India in order to remove obstacles and reach the best solutions to bring in domestic helpers. The ministry said the condition of an employer having a salary certificate of at least KD 2,000 to hire domestic helpers from the Philippines was waived, because this is not possible for the majority of citizens. – Al-Qabas

Fatal crash
Three young men were killed while a fourth was injured in an accident reported on Abdali Road, as the bodies were recovered by the coroner. Police received a call about an accident between two motorcycles and a half lorry, so police and paramedics rushed to the scene and found out that two persons had succumbed to their injuries, while two others were rushed to hospital where one of them was pronounced dead later. An investigation was opened to determine the cause of the accident. – Al-Rai

Drug smuggler, dealer caught
State security men busted a drugs deal of 180 kilograms of hashish and 100,000 captagon tablets, which a smuggler had brought to Kuwait on behalf of a bedoon drug pusher living in Kuwait. The smuggler, Iraqi, was arrested in Saud Al-Abdullah after he went through the Abdali border crossing without inspection, after he bribed a customs’ officer who has since disappeared, according to an informed source. State security men who learned about the case from another customs officer moved in, and checked the tapes where they confirmed that a truck driver had passed through without his vehicle being searched. They tracked the truck and discovered that it reached Saad Al-Abdullah, where a person received a package from the driver. Police then obtained a warrant and arrested both men, and also found the drugs in the vehicle. – Al-Rai

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KUWAIT: An official source at the Public Authority for Manpower said a study is being conducted to transfer work permits of those with qualifications in education, literature and specialties related to education according to their specialties and link the transfer with what agrees with their specialty. The source said the manpower authority is working, in cooperation with several government entities, on describing all professions required in the marketplace in coordination with Kuwait University and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), adding that this is one step to organize the marketplace and link professions with scholastic specialties. – Al-Anbaa

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KUWAIT: Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s Director Yousif Al-Fauzan stressed the new terminal four (T4) at Kuwait International Airport is allocated only for Kuwait Airways flights and that there is no intention or plans to house any other airlines in this terminal. Fauzan added that new stores will be opened in the new terminal for passengers by the beginning of the new year. He added that both the civil aviation directorate and KAC aspire to make the new terminal service around 6 million passengers annually, noting that the total number of flights in T4 jumped to 90 since it was inaugurated in August.

Automated service
Following the success achieved by the project in nine state departments, the Civil Service Commission’s (CSC) assistant undersecretary for information technology affairs Sabeeka Al-Weqayyan said the CSC is about to contact government bodies that have still not installed automated service devices. Weqayyan added the CSC will distribute the new devices at Kuwait Airport and large commercial complexes.

5 percent charge
Kuwait Farmers Federation Chairman Abdullah Al-Dammak announced that on behalf of Kuwaiti farmers, it submitted a number of demands to Chairman of Industrial Bank of Kuwait (IBK) Mosab Salem Al-Nisf requesting the cancellation of the 5 percent charge for farmers who delay paying off their dues. “He welcomed us and promised to cancel the extra charge, noting that he was fully aware of the damage incurred on farmers as a result of the recent heavy rain,” explaining affected farmers should file individual requests to defer the 5 percent delay charge for a year.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Nisf, Dammak expressed hope that IBK’s board of directors fully understand farmers’ problems and help them overcome them in order to support Kuwaiti farmers face the increasing prices of farming materials as well as rising wages. He added that demands made to IBK included extending farmers’ loan payment to 20 years, exempting them from delay fines, reducing administrative fees, dropping the payment of this year’s installments because of the rain, turning conventional agricultural loans to Islamic ones, fixing the total loan interest rate at 2 percent, reconsidering the current annual insurance which does not cover possible losses and considering rescheduling loans.

By A Saleh

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Kuwait gov’t keen to fight corruption : Nazaha

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) referred yesterday an official at Kuwait General Administration of Customs and another official to the public prosecution on charges of corruption. The suspects were allegedly involved in wasting state funds worth up to KD 41,352 ($135,000), said Dr Mohammad Bouzuber, Nazaha’s Assistant Secretary General for Investigations and official spokesman. He affirmed that Nazaha would continue to gather evidences and witnesses’ account to add to the case against the suspects.

Fighting corruption
The authority has meanwhile stressed that Kuwait’s government is keen to fight corruption through the application of financial disclosure statement. The authority is exerting great efforts to overcome the difficulties in implementing the provisions of the national strategy on all state bodies, Head of the Authority Counsellor Abdulrahman Al-Namash told Al-Anbaa newspaper. He added this will make a positive contribution to Kuwait’s ranking in the Global Corruption Perceptions Index. The strategy includes working controls and reference terms for state body, on which the Authority can detect the corrupt, he said.
Meanwhile, Namash said Nazaha will organize the international conference to promote integrity and transparency next January next, in conjunction with the launch of the national strategy to fight corruption.

Random examination
Nazaha in cooperation with competent authorities does a random examination of funds covered by the law, including ministers and deputies, he said, stressing that the Authority needs no permission to refer any corruption or suspicion of corruption to prosecution, where the body is independent practically and legally and Nazaha’s work ends with referral to the prosecution.
Nazaha, an independent authority, was established according to Law 2/2016, in response to the requirements stipulated by the UN anti-corruption convention. It advocates transparency and integrity in economic and administrative tasks for sake of securing rational management of states’ financial resources and assets. – KUNA

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Kuwait Geographical Society hosts discussion on effects of rain on Kuwait

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Geographical Society (KGS) held a discussion panel on ‘climate and environmental changes and effects of rain and storms on Kuwait’ at its premises in Qadsiya on Monday. Meteorologist Eisa Ramadan warned about heavier rain in the future. “The rain will be heavier and more intensive. Between 2020 and 2027, rainfall may reach over 300 mm, while rainwater drainage systems were designed for only 20 mm per hour. In the past, the average rainfall was around 115 to 120 mm, but the recent rains were really heavy,” he said.

According to him, the data in the past were not accurate. “In Europe, they have exact data from over 1,000 years. Climate change was not sudden, but mainly caused by the industrial revolution. Our environment is a desert one and visible climate change has been noticed, especially with heavy short bursts of rain, which is not very useful, as it’s not continuous,” added Ramadan.

Temperatures will also rise in the future. “We prepared a study on climate change, and temperatures will rise till 2100. Between 2030 and 2070, the temperature will increase by 3-4 degrees Celsius, and by 2100, the temperature will be higher by at least 5 degrees. This will affect our energy and life in general. Climate change has also brought about more phenomena including shifting of seasons, which led to an increase of insects and other effects,” he explained.

Abdulaziz Al-Qarawi, a meteorologist at the Meteorological Department, described the recent flooding as an exceptional situation. “In 1997, when rainwater flooded Kuwait, we registered 114 mm of rainfall, while last month we registered an average of 262 mm. The manholes in residential areas can only hold 20 mm of rain per hour, while airport manholes and those on highways can handle 27 mm, which is not enough compared to the heavy rains we witnessed, so they got flooded,” he pointed out.

Climate change has two main effects – rising temperature and rain. “Rainfall was unprecedented this year, not only in Kuwait but also in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Some areas were also built on dried streams – the Mangaf tunnel was built on a stream, according to geographical maps. Climate change also causes higher temperatures, and this was proven by registering the highest temperature ever of 54 degrees Celsius in 2016,” Qarawi added.
Dr Salman Al-Failakawi, a Public Authority for Applied Education and Training teacher, highlighted the fact that rainfall in Kuwait is irregular. “Rainfall is rare, so after a dry spell, heavy rain causes torrents. This is why usually countries with regular rainfall don’t face such disasters, as their system is ready. Also, dryness causes clogging of the rain drainage system with sand, stones and other dirt. So 40 mm of rain per hour caused floods, which was a disaster,” he stated.

Torrents are caused by natural and human factors. “The natural factor is the soil – 90 percent of our soil is desert and poor in plants, and with human activities, it gets flattened. Also, it’s covered with a calcareous layer which resists water absorption. When the level of underground water gets higher in residential areas, the torrents are stronger,” stressed Failakawi.
Dr Ahmad Al-Qasabi, a teacher at Alexandria University, gave a presentation on the different types of roads that were damaged by the floods. “Wafra road is not finished yet, but it’s damaged already. The floods damaged its sides, and the solution is in fixing it with limestone rocks or concrete on the sides. The damage that happened in Sabah Al-Ahmad City was due to surface deposits, and the same problem is found in Mutlaa,” he noted.

By Nawara Fattahova

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KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah discussed yesterday means of mutual cooperation with Ambassador of the United States Lawrence Silverman, accompanied by the military attache to Kuwait, at the National Assembly. Sheikh Nasser said in a statement that the Kuwaiti and American sides discussed issues of mutual interest and means to develop and enhance them. He praised the deep-rooted ties between both friendly nations. – KUNA

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Bill passes after government agrees to 2% cut in pensions

KUWAIT: The National Assembly yesterday overwhelmingly passed an amended early retirement law in the first reading despite opposition by several MPs to the legislation that allows Kuwaiti civil servants to retire early against a small reduction in pension. Forty MPs including all Cabinet ministers present voted in favor of the law, while 16 lawmakers, all opposition members, voted against the law which was amended through cooperation between the government and the Assembly’s financial and economic affairs committee.

A number of MPs who voted for the law said their approval is conditional to changing several provisions before sending the law for the second and final round of voting, expected within the next two weeks. The law allows Kuwaiti citizens to seek early retirement five years ahead of the official retirement age of 55 years for men and 50 years for women, but only after accepting to reduce their pension by two percent for each year. The government had demanded a five percent reduction initially, but agreed to the two percent cut and said it will pay the remaining three percent to the social security agency.

In the previous term, the Assembly overwhelmingly approved the original early retirement law, but it was rejected by the government, which demanded some amendments to accept it. Finance Minister Nayef Al-Hajraf told the Assembly the new version does not disrupt the retirement system and insisted that retirement is optional and not mandatory. He said the new law does not take away any benefit from thousands of people who retired before this law, adding that the costs of the law will be borne by the social security agency.

The minister said that the two-percent reduction was introduced because the government does not want to see many civil servants seek early retirement, as the state needs their expertise. Hajraf said the law allows the 350,000 government employees to reap the benefits of the law, adding that 6,700 single women will benefit from its provisions, adding that men and women are treated equally by the law.

Head of the financial committee MP Salah Khorshed said that as many as 7,600 employees will be able to seek early retirement without having to cut their pensions. He said the law is one of the biggest achievements of the Assembly. But opponents said the amendments, sponsored by the government, to the law have rendered the law useless and without any benefit. Several MPs called for voting again on the law.

At the start of the session, the Assembly accepted a request by the rain investigation committee to seek the assistance of the Audit Bureau to prepare a study on the technical, financial and legal subjects related to the rain issue. During the debate, Public Works Minister Hossam Al-Roumi said he has tendered his resignation to the Cabinet and is awaiting its response. The minister resigned after heavy rains last month.

By B Izzak

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KUWAIT: After Kuwait’s attorney general issued on Monday strict guidelines to ensure that children are adequately protected from the potential dangers associated with social media, an attorney told Kuwait Times 18 social media accounts were referred to the prosecutor yesterday. Lawyer Mohammed Al-Khaldi explained the new guidelines only expound on already existing juvenile laws which criminalize the abuse of children. Chief among the new guidelines is introducing age restrictions requiring social media users to be at least 13 years of age.

Khaldi noted punishment may reach up to one year of imprisonment. “Eighteen social media accounts were referred to the prosecutor yesterday for illegally exploiting children for commercial activities. The owners of the accounts signed pledges to refrain from such activities,” he said. The new guidelines clarify child rights law no. 21/2015, minors’ law no. 111/2015, decree no. 104/1991, decree no. 26/1993, decree no. 168/2018 and the recommendations of the higher national committee for child protection.
Many terms used in this guideline are still very general. “For instance, the law forbids exploiting children in commercial advertising to make profit, but some commercials are completely related to children or their products. So the juvenile prosecutor will decide whether they are harmful or not,” added Khaldi.

Any member of the public can file a case against any social media account or advertisement exploiting children. “The parents, as the guardians of the child, will be penalized for exploiting their child themselves or by anyone else. There are two authorities in charge of these crimes – the child protection center, which is under the Cabinet, and the minors’ care department under the interior ministry,” he explained.

Exceptions have been made. “The law allows using children in positive advertising that has educational value and for voluntary or charity activities among others,” Khaldi said. “The guidelines also sanction all inappropriate comments made under any post of children,” he concluded. The justice ministry added that all necessary measures will be taken to ensure that these guidelines are strictly enforced.

By Nawara Fattahova

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KUWAIT: The health ministry has implemented a new system to guarantee collection of fees it has imposed on expatriates when they are admitted to public hospitals for surgeries or receive expensive treatment, where a guarantor will sign a form to pay the fees in case the patient does not. The form is a guarantee and undertaking by the guarantor to pay for the services presented to the non-Kuwaiti patient.

The form includes the guarantor’s and patient’s information, as well as the amount payable. In case of non-payment, the health ministry has the right to take legal action against the guarantor without any warning. – Al-Anbaa

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KUWAIT: A trial broadcast of a TV channel dedicated solely for children and backed with a simulation studio was launched yesterday. The significance of the ‘children’s channel’ stems from Kuwait TV’s national vision of ensuring young Kuwaiti generations are intellectually, culturally and educationally equipped to contribute in the country’s development, said Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Mohammad Al-Jabri in a press release on launching the channel.

One of the channel’s major objectives is to face cultural peculiarities that could challenge the moderate and authentic traditions of the Kuwaiti society, he noted, branding the launch as a “quantum leap” in terms of cooperation and coordination between the ministry and other government entities. Jabri concluded by stressing the keenness of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on caring for children and the youth in a bid for this segment of society to contribute in achieving Kuwait’s ‘Vision 2035’ plan. – KUNA

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KUWAIT: The public prosecution yesterday referred an Egyptian female teacher accused of causing the death of a student to the criminal court. Nine-year-old Essa Al-Bloushi was suffering from a heart condition, and he died in February 2018 after he was reportedly mistreated and beaten by the teacher, according to the indictment. The teacher is facing four charges including beating the child to death, mistreating the child and slandering him and his mother. Earlier, the child’s father Thamer Al-Bloushi said his son had periodic checks at the hospital and that the school was notified about his special health case. He added that on the day he fought with the teacher, he wanted to call home because he was too tired and refused going back to school after he returned home.

The father added that many other parents had the same complaints about the teacher’s behavior with pupils. “I have been a teacher for 17 years myself. I hold a master’s degree in educational psychology. I would give special care to special case kids even if they keep jumping on their desks. In this case, I would make the school administration deal with the matter and summon the parents instead of assaulting a nine-year-old child as if he was an adult,” the father complained, adding that the teacher slapped Essa, pushed him against the wall, pulled him by the ear and threw him out of class. “She even insulted his mother before the school assistant manager, saying he was a rude child,” he added, noting that Essa died the following day.

Future plans
The Interior Ministry’s assistant undersecretary for residency affairs Maj Gen Talal Maarafi yesterday met with residency departments’ managers to discuss their future work plans, said security sources. The sources added that Marafi stressed the significance of facilitating the process by using the e-government portal to meet the ‘New Kuwait’ vision with the ultimate goal of activating tourism and boosting the national economy, while at the same time being careful about Kuwait’s demographic structure and security concerns.

Reduced fees
Director of the Public Authority for Manpower Ahmed Al-Moussa said the authority has started implementing the decision by Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State for Economic Development Hind Al-Sabeeh on reducing fees collected by the authority from citizens desiring to work for the private sector from KD 60 to only KD 10, plus only KD 10 in annual renewal fees. Moussa explained that the decision was made to reduce the burden on national labor and encourage more citizens to get private sector jobs.

Labor city
Kuwait Municipality Director Ahmed Al-Manfouhi announced that the contract of the 1,015,000 sq m labor city in Jahra will be signed with the investing company during the fourth quarter of 2019. Responding to a proposal by members Humoud Al-Enezi and Abdul Wahab Buresli on transferring the labor cities projects to the manpower authority, Manfouhi stressed that it was one of the municipality’s responsibilities to support the state’s plans to encourage the private sector take part in developing government projects. “Accordingly, the Municipal Council approved the labor cities’ conditions, construction regulations and suggested locations, before referring the matter to the higher committee for studying development projects, pending offering the project for private sector investment,” he explained. Manfouhi elaborated that Jahra labor city will be built over a total area of 1,015,000 sq m to accommodate 20,000 laborers.

Rent allowance
The Public Authority for Housing Welfare is currently considering the suspension of the KD 150 rent allowance of citizens who had been ignoring all housing alternatives they had been offered, noting that the suspension will reveal those who do not actually need housing welfare or are not serious in getting it. Concerning the legality of the decision, the authority explained the rent allowance is temporarily paid to citizens awaiting government provided housing, and that ignoring the chances they get and the continuation of receiving the allowance involves public fund violations.

800,000 electricity meters
The Ministry of Electricity and Water’s (MEW) energy efficiency manager Iqbal Al-Tayyar said that MEW is currently focusing on a major project to install and maintain around 800,000 smart electricity meters. Meanwhile, the official noted that the ministry is currently working on readying well-trained national technicians to run future projects that require special abilities. Tayyar added that a meeting was held in this regard with the manager of the higher institute for energy Osama Al-Duaij and teaching staff member Khaled Bohindi to discuss the needed training courses.

By A Saleh

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KUWAIT: Chairman of Kuwait Diabetes Society Dr Waleed Al-Dhahi warned diabetes is widespread in Kuwait and the world, adding that the prevalence rate reaches 24 percent, with nearly 420,000 in Kuwait suffering from diabetes. He said 40 new cases of type 1 diabetes are registered for every 100,000 children and 4.6 cases of type 2 annually. Dhahi said diabetes is considered difficult to control, as the rate of control around the world is no more than 40 to 70 percent. It is a disease that has medications, but the most important medication for diabetes is lifestyle discipline.

Dhahi said diabetics always need to monitor their blood sugar levels, especially those who use insulin, to adjust their dosage. He added many people keep using the same dose of insulin for a long time, warning this may lead to uncontrolled sugar levels. Dhahi said there are several means to check blood sugar levels at home, and most of them depend on finger pricking, but there are new devices called diabetes sensors, which are systems placed on parts of the body which test sugar levels over a long period. These provide a chance for the patient to know the levels at various times of the day, and can help against hypoglycemia. Dhahi said the society has many activities, including educating people and holding lectures for doctors to enhance their skills and inform them on the latest developments.

By A Saleh

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Non-citizens born and raised in Kuwait fall under mercy of kafala system: Sadliwala

KUWAIT: A seminar titled ‘Beyond Kafala and Exclusion: A Network Approach to Cross-Nationality Interactions in the Arabian Gulf’ was held at the American University of Kuwait’s Center for Gulf Studies on Tuesday. It was presented by Batul K Sadliwala, who graduated from AUK with a BA in International Relations and has worked with NGOs in Kuwait and Lebanon.
Sadliwala challenged the conventional narrative and popular discourse about migration experiences in the Arabian Gulf, arguing they are all connected to socioeconomic development. She began her presentation by looking at the demographic imbalance between locals and migrant workers – or citizens against non-citizens, who are considered as migrants even as they were born and raised in the country.

“The fact is there are more than 150,000 students in the country who are non-citizens – they are non-Kuwaitis, but 17 percent of them are actually born and raised in Kuwait. Now, take a look at the kafala system – this system is so deeply rooted that to some it has become a way of life. The integration or reintegration of non-citizens has not even come up for discussion,” said Sadliwala, who holds a master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Massachusetts.
She said the kafala system was introduced only for temporary workers. Even though many have stayed in the country for more than 10 years, they are still being treated under the kafala system. “Many of these migrant workers have lived and outlived many of us here – they made this country their home, therefore they are not supposed to be staying under the mercy of the kafala system,” Sadliwala said.

The kafala or sponsorship system is a system used to monitor migrant laborers, working primarily in the construction and domestic sectors. The system is in force in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Some of these countries however have already restructured the system, such are Bahrain and Qatar.

The kafala system requires workers to have an in-country sponsor, usually their employer, who is responsible for their visa and legal status. Human rights groups have criticized the system, claiming it encourages exploitation of workers, as many employers take away passports of their workers, with a small chance of legal repercussions.

Sadliwala’s research interest includes Middle East policy, citizenship, conflict and famine-migration, which was recently published by the Migration Policy Institute in Washington. Her works illustrate unconventional approach for civil society, policymakers and scholars to engage with the role that migration plays in the Gulf.

By Ben Garcia

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