KUWAIT: Opposition MP Riyadh Al-Adasani yesterday called on the National Assembly to vote urgently on two draft laws that call to scrap hikes in fuel and power prices in addition to banning any future increases without the prior approval of the Assembly. Adasani said the two bills have been in the Assembly for almost two years and were approved by the concerned committee in April 2017 and as such should be voted by the Assembly.

He said the first draft law calls to cancel raises introduced by the government to fuel and electricity prices about two years ago after oil prices crashed. The increase in fuel prices including that of petrol was applied to Kuwaitis and expatriates as well but the 150 percent rise in electricity prices was applied only on expatriates, while citizens were spared. The second bill stipulates that no increases in the prices of public services and commodities can be introduced without the prior approval of the Assembly.

Meanwhile, controversy continued over the amended early retirement law which was approved in the first reading by the Assembly last week despite some opposition. MP Khalil Abul argued the law contains too many benefits for those willing to seek early retirement and accused opponents of the law of trying to provide a false picture to Kuwaiti employees.

MP Safa Al-Hashem insisted that she will not support the law since she found out that the proposed two percent deduction from the pension each year is for life and not only for five years as was understood. The law allows Kuwaiti employees to seek retirement five years before time against the two percent cut every year. Many MPs had demanded that those who have completed 25 years of service should be allowed to retire without any cuts.

Head of the Legal and Legislative Committee MP Khaled Al-Shatti said yesterday that the panel will meet to discuss reducing interest taken by the Industrial Bank on loans offered to farmers. MP Mohammad Al-Dallal yesterday said he will continue to monitor the education minister and threatened that he might ultimately grill him. He criticized the minister for lack of achievements and stressed that he only acts under pressure.

By B Izzak

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KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent yesterday a cable of congratulations to Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. His Highness the Amir expressed his utmost congratulations to the Amir of Qatar on the occasion of his country’s National Day and anniversary of its Founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani’s assumption to power. His Highness lauded Qatar’s distinctive accomplishments over the years, including major development growth in various vital fields, wishing Sheikh Tamim perpetual good health and wellness, and further progress and prosperity for Qatar. His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sent similar cables to the Qatari Amir, while National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanem sent a cable to Qatar’s Consultative Assembly Speaker Ahmad Al-Mahmud.

In other news, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Thani on Sunday welcomed anew Kuwait’s initiative to resolve the Gulf crisis as a center for all initiatives launched by friends. In a joint press conference with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres following the signing of agreements between Qatar and the UN on the sidelines of the second day of the Doha 2018 Forum, Sheikh Mohammad said His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah made efforts during the last period, which is still valued by the Qatari people. “We in Qatar are open to a constructive dialogue based on mutual respect and a common vision of the substance of the dispute they are talking about,” he said. “We appreciate the initiatives of various countries such as the United States in this context and we have always supported the solution through dialogue in any conflict that may arise,” he added. – KUNA

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KUWAIT: New customs instructions revealed that thieves of Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) equipment send copper extracted from stolen cables outside Kuwait. Sources said there is cooperation between the MEW and the customs department to face the increased thefts by banning the export of copper. Customs Director General Jamal Al-Jalawi instructed that only copper in its original condition should be allowed to be exported, unless written permission is obtained.

Unfit for consumption
The airport imports department at the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition destroyed a quantity of zubaidi fish weighing 560 kg. Department Director Ali Al-Khanfour said after checking the fish of Bangladeshi origin, it was found unfit for human consumption and was destroyed.

Suicide attempt
A Jordanian woman was rushed to hospital for treatment for injuries she sustained after an alleged suicide attempt. The Ahmadi prosecutor ordered the case to be registered as a suicide attempt, while waiting to hear the woman’s testimony. The woman screamed for help but her children could not prevent her from falling. An eyewitness said he heard the woman calling for help. She was holding on to a piece of metal before falling. The woman suffered extensive fractures.

Fugitive caught
Farwaniya police arrested a citizen wanted to serve a six-year jail sentence. He was in an abnormal condition. The arrest was made as he was driving erratically, and did not stop at police orders. He was then chased and arrested.

Search for beggars
A citizen told police some women move in groups and knock on doors in Dhaher and beg. Detectives moved to arrest them and stop this activity. – Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Rai and Al-Anbaa

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KUWAIT: The public funds prosecution remanded two businessmen in jail for 21 days and sent them to the Central Prison pending an ongoing investigation in a major real estate fraud case. A source said more than 200 citizens complained about buying real estate inside and outside Kuwait, only to find out they were victims of a scam. The source added the total value of the fraud is nearly KD 15 million.

Seafront development
Kuwait Municipality Director General Ahmad Al-Manfouhi, when asked about seafront development in Garnata, Sulaibkhat, Doha, Jaber Al-Ahmad and Jahra, said recommendations of the third regional study set a preliminary budget for use of the land of Jahra corniche project. He said the project was presented to international consultative offices and invitations were sent, and offices desiring to participate are being followed up. As for Sulaibkhat Bay, he said the project was awarded to an international office to carry out advisory services, and documents are being completed prior to signing a contract with the winning company.

Firemen’s treatment
Deputy Premier and State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh said firemen are treated like policemen in ranks and basic salaries, and are treated like army personnel as far as pensions are concerned, so it is right to treat firemen like policemen over leaves and not only over cash allowances.

By A Saleh

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People aged between 45 and 55 advised to undergo screening

KUWAIT: Mubarak Hospital hosted a three-day awareness campaign on colorectal cancer in preparation for the annual awareness campaign that will be held in March. The campaign is organized by the health ministry in cooperation with Central Circle Company and Johnson & Johnson.
This campaign aims to spread awareness on the benefits of early detection of colon cancer. “The idea of this campaign is to detect cancer early. The management and prognosis of the case is affected greatly if we catch it early. It’s better for both the patients and surgeons if we detect it early. We are targeting people at Mubarak Hospital but the campaign involves everyone in Kuwait – both men and women of all nationalities. The campaign is being held at all public hospitals,” Dr Fatemah Buhamad of the general surgery team at Mubarak Hospital told Kuwait Times yesterday.

30-minute procedure
“We advise people aged between 45 and 55 to undergo screening. This includes colonoscopy. Many people fear the screening, as they think it’s a lengthy procedure and they try to avoid it till it’s too late and they start having symptoms. Colonoscopy is only a 30-minute procedure done under sedation, and they will not feel or remember anything. If it’s not beneficial, it will also not do them any harm, but it can make a big difference,” she added.

The patient can visit a general practitioner at the polyclinic to get a reference to any public hospital. “They can then book a colonoscopy appointment. Anybody experiencing any of the symptoms that are suggestive of cancer is encouraged to come and do the screening regardless of age,” Buhamad explained.
“The symptoms include change in habits, whether it’s diarrhea or constipation or recent weight loss that is unintentional – when people eat the same the same food and are not going to the gym and still lose 5-10 kg – or blood in the stool or discoloration of the stool to dark color. If anyone suffers from any of these symptoms, he should do a colonoscopy,” concluded Buhamad.

Very widespread
Colorectal cancer is very widespread. “We don’t have exact statistics, but colon cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide when it comes to morbidity and mortality among men and women. It can be cured completely, especially since the past five or 10 years with the improvement of medicines used along with surgery,” said Dr Bader Al-Shaban, specialist in general and colon and rectal surgery at Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital/Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital.

There are different causes for colorectal cancer. “It’s a genetic disease affected by the lifestyle of the patient. Other causes include consuming unhealthy food such as preservatives and processed food including hotdogs, salami, etc, and a lack of fibers and beans. The accumulation of toxins can cause polyps. Unfortunately the patient won’t feel any pain before the symptoms occur and then it’s too late,” explained Shaban.

The campaign focuses on the early detection of all colorectal tumors. If this disease is detected early, the rate of treatment reaches 100 percent. If we find the polyp and remove it, this will avoid transforming it into cancer. We can avoid it by screening programs, which are free of charge for both Kuwaitis and non-Kuwaitis,” noted Mohammed Khaled, Marketing Specialist at Johnson & Johnson.

By Nawara Fattahova

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KUWAIT: MP Khalil Abul yesterday said lawmakers have been informed that the Cabinet has accepted the resignation of Oil Minister Bakheet Al-Rasheedi. The minister had come under fire from several MPs over alleged squandering of public funds by top oil executives. Abul, who with two other MPs had vowed to grill the minister, said the grilling will be filed against Rasheedi’s successor.

Meanwhile, five MPs yesterday submitted a motion calling on the National Assembly to urgently vote on two draft laws stipulating scrapping hikes in the prices of fuel and electricity. The motion was signed by lawmakers Adnan Abdulsamad, Riyadh Al-Adasani, Safa Al-Hashem, Shuaib Al-Muwaizri and Abdulkarim Al-Kandari. They demanded that the Assembly should vote on the two draft laws approved by the financial and economic affairs committee after the debate on the Amiri speech, which is expected to be completed next week.

The first bill calls for scrapping increases in fuel prices, especially that of petrol, and electricity charges, which were applied only on expatriates. The second bill seeks to restrict the government’s powers in raising the cost of public services by requiring the Assembly’s prior approval of any such hikes. Adasani said on Sunday the two draft laws have been approved by the financial committee since April 2017 and it is high time the Assembly approves them.

The Assembly’s health and labor committee yesterday debated amendments to the labor law in the private sector with the Public Authority for Manpower. MP Osama Al-Shaheen said the committee discussed changes to the end of service system, specifically whether to include public holidays in such calculations. The manpower authority agreed in principle to the amendment but said a final decision is linked to the opinion of the social security agency.

The legal and legislative affairs committee yesterday decided it will take a final vote on the legal status of the grilling against the prime minister on Sunday, its rapporteur said. MP Abul said that he expects the final report on the issue will be ready on Monday so it can be debated in the Assembly session on Tuesday. MP Muwiazri had filed to grill the prime minister over alleged government failure to face the heavy rains, but the government insisted that the grilling breached the constitution. The Assembly then asked the legal committee to see if the grilling violated the constitution.

MP Majed Al-Mutairi, who last week revived a proposal asking the government to purchase the bank loans of Kuwaiti citizens, said his proposal is getting solid support from the rest of the lawmakers. Mutairi said that the issue is very simple as the government maintains huge deposits worth tens of billions of dinars in local banks at a very low interest rate of just 1 percent, thus wasting huge returns for state coffers. He said all the government needs to do is to use part of the wasted returns on its deposits and ask local banks to forgive citizens’ loans.

By B Izzak

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Kuwait-China partnership essential for sustainable development

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s envoy, First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah handed yesterday a written letter from the Amir to Chinese President Xi Jinping. The letter is related to strong bilateral relations and strengthening strategic partnership between both the countries.
Earlier yesterday, Sheikh Nasser stressed the importance of boosting the strategic partnership between Kuwait and China in an interview with China-based Phoenix TV, the Kuwaiti Embassy in China said in a statement. The two countries’ partnership is like a cornerstone for attaining sustainable development in the Asian continent and a base for integrating Kuwait’s “New Kuwait 2030” vision with China’s “Belt and Road” initiative, he noted.

Enhancing the Kuwaiti-Chinese partnership is essential for their mutual interests and joint economic and commercial cooperation, Sheikh Nasser said, adding it will contribute to broadening cooperation prospects in other fields. Kuwait and China enjoy a close and historical friendship, he mentioned, adding such a relationship has flourished over the years in political, economic, investment, commercial and cultural fields. Kuwait was the first Gulf country to establish diplomatic ties with China, noted the top Kuwaiti official.

Sheikh Nasser said his current official visit to China aims to boost anew the Kuwaiti-Chinese strategic partnership in various fields and solidify their relationship. All MoUs and cooperation agreements between the two nations, signed during HH the Amir’s July visit to China, are currently in the process of implementation, he said. He also stressed the importance of maintaining communication, coordination and consultation with Chinese authorities regarding the “Belt and Road” initiative and finding ways to link it with the “New Kuwait 2030” vision.

Linking such important development projects would empower Kuwait to become an international economic and financial center, Sheikh Nasser Sabah affirmed. As part of its strategy to transform its economy into a diversified and sustainable force, Kuwait has invested in its geographic location in northern the Arabian Gulf by linking its safe economic and commercial passageway with the “Belt and Road” initiative, he added.
The Kuwaiti minister underlined the significance of bolstering joint humanitarian virtues between China and Kuwait and activating a multifaceted exchange between their peoples in educational, cultural and athletic fields. Sheikh Nasser invited all Chinese people from various backgrounds to visit Kuwait, explore its urban and natural landmarks, and meet Kuwaitis directly.

Kuwaiti Ambassador to China Samih Johar Hayat said the Phoenix TV team showed keen interest in learning about Kuwait’s regional and international status during Sheikh Nasser’s interview. Most questions focused on Kuwait’s role in international humanitarian action, effective and positive political initiatives, and contributions to world oil markets’ stability, said Hayat. The Kuwaiti diplomat also pointed out HH the Amir’s pivotal role in bringing views of Gulf states’ leaders closer, affirming his country applies neutrality and moderation in its diplomacy. – KUNA

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KUWAIT: An official source at the manpower authority said an administrative circular no. 104/2018 was issued that allows residency renewals for those with the profession of “manager” but without a university degree, who have been working in this job before Jan 1, 2011 and the job was recorded in the work permit.

The source said after this date, there will be no renewals without a university degree, adding that the work permits of all those working as “managers” before Jan 1, 2011 will be renewed automatically. – Al-Anbaa

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CAIRO: Echoing its earlier stances, Kuwait underscored yesterday that it is categorically opposed to any action or bid that could undermine the legal status of the occupied Palestinian holy city of Jerusalem. Addressing an emergency Arab League meeting to weigh its response to the recent Israeli escalation in the West Bank, Kuwait’s deputy permanent delegate at the Arab League Falah Al-Mutairi called on more countries to recognize Palestine as a state with East Jerusalem being its capital.
“Kuwait condemns, in the strongest words, the aggressive campaign launched by the Israeli occupying army, extremists and settlers against Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps, particularly Ramallah,” he said.

Mutairi reiterated his country’s call on the international community, mainly the UN Security Council, to provide necessary protection to the defenseless Palestinian people pursuant to UNSC Resolutions 605 and 904 stipulating a halt of Israeli violations against Palestinians. He vowed that Kuwait would never leave no stone unturned in order to ensure the rights of the Palestinian people by means of tabling relevant draft resolutions through its non-permanent UNSC membership.

The Kuwaiti diplomat vehemently regretted a recent Australian decision to recognize West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, billing it as a resonant illegal step and unequivocal breach of relevant UNSC resolutions. He also urged the new Brazilian president to rethink his country’s decision declaring Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving its embassy to Tel Aviv. Mutairi concluded by echoing that his country would throw its weight behind all moves to be taken by the meeting with a view to fending off the aftershocks of the latest Israeli escalation against Palestinian people.

The Arab League later adopted a resolution calling on Australia and Brazil to “abide by international law” concerning the status of Jerusalem. It also decided to dispatch a “high-ranking delegation” to Brazil and Australia to inform officials there on the need to “abide by international law” concerning Jerusalem. The pan-Arab body also called on the UN Security Council to “assume its responsibilities by putting pressure on Israel… and stop its aggression against the Palestinian people”.

Israel seized east Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day war and later annexed it, declaring the entire city its “eternal and indivisible capital”, in a move not recognized by most of the international community. Palestinians claim the eastern part as the capital of a future Palestinian state. The Palestinian leadership has slammed Australia and Brazil over their plans.
In December the US administration of President Donald Trump decided to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and declared the city Israel’s capital. The embassy was transferred in May in a move that sparked outrage in across the Arab and Muslim world. Most countries have avoided moving their embassies to Jerusalem to avoid hindering peace talks on the city’s final status. – Agencies

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1,515 dogs imported by end of 2017 compared to 478 in 2012

KUWAIT: Acquiring pets by young people in Kuwait to raise and take them out in public has become a trend that has been spreading fast recently, thus contributing to a record increase in the commercial activity associated with this trend. Accordingly, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a decree that included 60 new licenses, one of them stipulating establishment a pets welfare house, in May 2018. Meanwhile, animal trade in Kuwait has boomed, amid mushrooming dog and cat accessories stores, private hospitals, pet care centers, even hotel services and coffee shops.

“The country witnessed a significant increase in the number of dogs and cats imported from abroad during the past five years,” said Waleed Al-Oud, Monitor of Epidemic at the Department of Animal Health in the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish resources. He added that the number of dogs imported from abroad rose from 478 in 2012 to 1,515 on the end of 2017, while the figure of cats increased from 475 to 574 during the same period. He added that carrying out therapeutic services for these animals was assigned to the private sector only, as the authority does not provide this kind of therapy, unless in cases of spreading epidemics and infectious diseases that threaten the community.

He stressed that the authority has a clear plan to combat the “phenomenon of stray dogs,” especially that it receives daily more than 20 complaints, making this issue as one of the challenges facing it. The Kuwaiti official pointed out to the existence of a law on animal welfare, with its Executive Regulations approved in 2015, which criminalize the abuse of animals through the application of financial fine, and could even reach a verdict to send people to prison, adding that the Environmental Police is working on implementing this law.

Veterinary clinics
Meanwhile, Vet Dr Obeid Al-Azmi that the country has witnessed a significant increase in the number of veterinary clinics specializing in dogs and cats during the past few years due to the increasing number of its owners. He added that the diseases of these animals spread during periods of change of weather, specifically in the months of March, April, September and October, pointing out that the most prevalent diseases at present time is the Parvo Virus, Ticks Virus for dogs, and the calic Virus for cats.

Dr Azmi provided many advices to the owners of pets, the most important of which are to give them four vaccinations to immunize against a number of diseases and viruses such as Parvo Virus and Distemper Virus for dogs and three vaccinations for cats such as Herpes Virus and Calic Virus, in addition to conducting a periodic examination against Fungi.

Dog shelter
Petty activities have also spawned to the adoption of stray dogs and cats, where Nathalie Veys, a German national, runs a dog shelter in Kuwait, where she collects stray dogs after receiving at least 50 calls a day. She said she was gathering dogs and initially sterilizes, vaccinates and trains them to be able to live with a family again after completing their assessment. The shelter (adopt a street princess) was opened in 2015. Most of the adoptions are carried out with families outside the country. The dogs are sent after training and rehabilitation to Germany, indicating that the process of sending them abroad takes about four months.

In a special care center, Samantha Portocarrero, an expert in creative grooming for dogs and cats, said that the center provided a new service for the first time in Kuwait, in addition to other services such as nail care and creative grooming per the Asian style. The expert from Nicaragua in Latin America said her passion for pets has prompted her to work with experts groomers on dogs and cats over the past three years, including Costa Rican Nicole Rodin, Japan’s Keiko Sasaki, Chinese Laili Ashhadi, and Brazil’s Felippe Correa.

The most common breeds of dogs treated by the center are the Yorkshire, the Pomeranian from the small dog categories, as well as the Shepherd, the Labrador and the Golden Retriever from the big dog categories. Portocarrero provided a number of tips for dog and cat owners, the most important of which is that the center should be visited twice a month for long-haired dogs and once for the short hair, as well as brushing twice a day to avoid the accumulation of fur masses to have satisfactory effects on them, while cats must be cleaned every 15 days.

Veterinary Hospital
The International Veterinary Hospital in Kuwait, which opened in 2002, is specialized in dogs and cats. It provides veterinary services, retail services for their supplies, as well as a photography studio and a care center. The hospital includes intensive care rooms, X-rays, four rooms dedicated to their laundry and care, as well as a comprehensive medical laboratory and seven specialized doctors from around the world. The hotel services provided by the center include daily, weekly and monthly care services, 165 rooms for dogs and 65 other rooms for cats. Pet supplies stores have also recently been opened, including Pet Zone, which opened in 2010 as a specialized store selling dog, cat, bird and fish supplies. The increase in demand for these items has contributed to the expansion of the store since 2016, with several branches opening in the country, as well as outside Kuwait in the Gulf countries.

Coffee shops dedicated for cat and dog lovers are among the most important activities in this area. Luna & Beau, which opened in September 2018, is one of the best examples of a cafe, a bakery, a convenience store and a private dog park. The coffee shop, with the name inspired by the owner’s dogs Luna and Beau, offers daycare services, consultations and training by specialists and experts. With all that, it becomes common in Kuwait to see many people walking with their dogs on the Arabian Gulf Marina Walk. – KUNA

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KUWAIT: Kuwait has moved forward with plans to ease traffic congestion and improve transport infrastructure, with the authorities announcing that a major road project is close to completion, while a series of others are ahead of schedule.

On November 5, Ahmad Al-Hassan, the then-director-general of the Public Authority for Roads and Transportation (PART), said that the Doha Link of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway Project was 97.2 percent completed.

The KD165.7 million ($544.8 million), 12.4-km bridge connects the industrial area of Al-Shuwaikh with the Al-Doha Peninsula on the other side of Kuwait Bay. Construction, which began in October 2007, is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

The Doha bridge constitutes one of two major road links under the broader Sheikh Jaber Causeway Project, one of the most high profile of the 74 infrastructure projects under PART’s supervision. The causeway will also include a longer sea bridge section connecting Kuwait City with the Al-Subiya area on the northern side of Kuwait Bay. The route will reduce the travel distance between the two locations from 104 km to 36 km and the average commuting time for motorists from 90 minutes to 30 minutes.
According to the New Kuwait 2035 website, the estimated total cost of the full project is KD938m ($3.1bn), and it was 79 percent complete as of mid-November. The progress of the Doha Link followed PART’s announcement in early October that a series of projects, including the Seventh Ring Road project, had hit construction targets earlier than expected.
Citing PART officials, local media reported that the 21.8-km Seventh Ring Road was 37 percent complete as of mid-October, up from 27 percent in May. The route will comprise seven intersections linking the Fahaheel Expressway in the east of Kuwait City to the nearby area of Al-Kabd, south-west of the capital.

PART set to award contracts for new projects
The progress on the projects aligns with the New Kuwait 2035 development plan, the country’s long-term economic strategy, which identifies infrastructure as one of seven key pillars.

To this end, PART is continuing to expand its portfolio of road works, and at the end of October the state body announced that it was close to awarding contracts for 13 new projects nationwide.
Among the tenders on offer is an extension to the Seventh Ring Road Project, which will include the construction of 93 km of associated highways as part of a road network between the Fahaheel Expressway, Seventh Ring Road and Salmi Road. An extension of the Salmi Road is another project up for grabs, and will include the construction and maintenance of 179 km of the route’s northern regional intersection.

Flooding places attention on quality of roads
These new developments come amid increased scrutiny on the quality of Kuwait’s roads following major flooding in early November. Heavy rain and flash floods saw damage to roads, bridges and property, with several ministries announcing a state of emergency, and the Cabinet launching an inquiry to investigate the reasons for the flooding and to help formulate a plan of response.

Losses to private and public property caused by bad weather have been estimated at KD40 million -50 million ($131.5 million -164.4 million), and the incident resulted in the dismissal of Hassan from his position as director-general of PART.

Soha Ashkanani was installed as Hassan’s replacement on November 6, and PART will likely be under pressure from public and private stakeholders to strengthen the road network’s ability to deal with heavy rainfall.
The incident followed the October release of the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Competitiveness Index, which found that Kuwait’s ranking in the quality of roads component dropped from 53rd of 138 countries in 2016 to 62nd of 140 economies in 2018.

While it placed much higher at 47th under the road connectivity component, there was no such category in the previous year’s index to use as a means of comparison. The 2018 index placed the country 61st for infrastructure overall, up three places on the previous year. – Oxford Business Group

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KUWAIT: The government of Kuwait discussed a report about compensations for people whose properties were damaged by heavy rainfall in the country. Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hind Al-Sabeeh briefed the Cabinet about compensations for damages in buildings, vehicles or personal belongings, Deputy Premier and Minister of State for Cabinet Anas Al-Saleh said in a statement. He made the statement following a Cabinet meeting on Monday, chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Sabeeh also briefed Cabinet about repairing damage caused by rain in Sabah Al-Ahmad city, Al-Mangaf underpass and King Fahad Highway. Meanwhile, the government assigned Kuwait Investment Authority to study establishment of a state company with a mandate of establishing infrastructure for the communication sector.

On the other hand, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah briefed the Cabinet about outcome of a recent visit by Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, and her talks with officials regarding relations between the European Union, Kuwait and the GCC. Kneissl, said Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, appreciated His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s role in solving conflicts. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled also briefed the Cabinet about a recent visit by Argentinian Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie and the talks he held with the senior government officials.He then talked about outcome of the visit by Alistair Burt, British Minister for Middle East, to co-chair Kuwait-Britain joint committee. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled briefed the Cabinet about the visit of German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, whose discussions with Kuwaiti officials aimed at developing humanitarian partnership with the aim of making international aid more effective and efficient.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet discussed political reports on the current developments at Arab and international levels, a government statement said. On the occasion of the National Day of Bahrain and Qatar, the Cabinet congratulated King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Amir of Qatar, and the two friendly peoples. The Cabinet praised the remarkable achievements in the Kingdom of Bahrain and Qatar, wishing them further progress and prosperity.

In the meantime, the Cabinet welcomed the adoption by the Security Council of a resolution co-sponsored by Kuwait and Sweden on the renewal of the mechanism of humanitarian access across the border into Syria for 12 months, expressing its appreciation to all members of the Security Council for their support. The Cabinet also welcomed the agreement reached by the Yemeni parties in the wake of the peace consultations held in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, recently, stressing this agreement is a “good and important” step for a comprehensive solution to the conflict in Yemen according to the Gulf initiatives, its executive mechanisms and outcome of national dialogue. The Cabinet called on the Yemeni parties to abide by this agreement to pave way for restoration of security, peace and stability in Yemen, thus ending bloodshed and alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people.

Regarding the terrorist attack that took place in the French city of Strasbourg recently, which resulted in a number of deaths and injuries, the Cabinet stressed rejection to all forms of violence and terrorism, expressing sincere condolences to the French people. The Cabinet expressed its sincere condolences to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and to the Turkish people following a train crash in Ankara, which killed and injured many people, wishing a speedy recovery to the wounded. – KUNA

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Defense Minister congratulates his Qatari counterpart

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah termed as ‘deep and solid’ the relations with Qatar. Speaking to reporters during a reception held by the Qatari Embassy on Monday to mark the country’s national day, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said that the “big achievements in Qatar and the development of infrastructure all the way to the 2022 World Cup are a source of appreciation that makes us happy.” He hoped Qatar would enjoy security, stability and sustainable development.

His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah congratulated the Qatari leadership and people for this national occasion. Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah also congratulated the Qatari people and said he was looking forward to witnessing further accomplishments in Qatar. Qatari Ambassador to Kuwait Bandar Al-Attiyah said he was honored to serve in Kuwait, and praised His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for advocating the security and stability of the Gulf region.

Meanwhile, Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah yesterday sent a cable of congratulations to Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah on National Day. Sheikh Nasser praised the deep-rooted relations between the two countries, wishing progress and prosperity for Qatar, said defense ministry in a statement. It added that Sheikh Nasser also sent a similar cable to Minister of State for Defense Affairs, Major General Hamad bin Ali Al-Attiyah. – KUNA

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KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry’s relations and security information department said on the instructions of Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Khalid Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah and follow up by Undersecretary Lt Gen Essam Al-Naham, concerned field security authorities are continuing their plan to counter various wrongful behaviors, particularly home thefts, through the presence of police patrols round the clock.

Meanwhile, commenting on a video that circulated on social media and showed a police patrol driving in a zigzag pattern, it said the patrolman wanted to keep traffic away to allow a broken down car to move from left to right to avoid an accident. In a separate statement, the department commented on a video showing a reckless driver in West Abdullah Al-Mubarak. When approached by police, the driver escaped, but the vehicle was impounded, the department said.

Also yesterday, the department released a statement in which it reminded motorists on how to deal with minor traffic accidents with regards to settlements. It said the law levies a KD 20 on the person who causes the accident, and settlement papers are sent to insurance companies with the affected person to receive compensation without the need to go to court.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

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KUWAIT: Beauty products containing cancer-causing asbestos are banned under official Kuwaiti and Gulf Cooperation Council safety standards, a Kuwaiti health ministry official underlined on Monday. Assistant undersecretary for pharmaceutical and nutrition control Abdullah Al-Bader made the remarks in response to reports that talcum powder products contain the dangerous substance. The ministry’s department of pharmaceutical and agricultural registration and control ensures the safety of talc products on the market, having conducted an in-depth study into their contents, he said.

The department’s experts have also assessed laboratory analysis certification from the manufacturing companies revealing that these products are free from the substance. The official mentioned a similar study by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published on its official website on products, including Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder, which came to the same conclusion. The ministry is in constant contact with global and regional bodies regarding the safety standards of pharmaceutical products, whether cosmetic or medicinal, Bader added. The official urged obtaining accurate information from official sources.

A Reuters report last week alleged Johnson & Johnson had deliberately concealed for decades that its baby powder sometimes contained asbestos. A lengthy investigation by the news agency, which reviewed thousands of company documents, showed the company marketed talc-based products that, at least between 1971 and the beginning in the 2000s, sometimes contained asbestos. The company’s executives, researchers, doctors and lawyers were aware but deliberately chose not to disclose this information and not to refer it to the authorities, according to the report. – Agencies

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Govt plans to ban renewal of marginal laborers’ work permits, residency visas

KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry’s Assistant Undersecretary for Residency Affairs Maj Gen Talal Maarafi yesterday issued a decision on not lifting absconding reports filed against domestic helpers, and accordingly, any absconding helper arrested by security authorities will be immediately deported. Well-informed sources said the decision was made to combat visa trafficking.

The sources added the government has set resolving the problem of demographic imbalance on top of its priorities and that special legislations had been referred to the National Assembly to be discussed and passed in January, in addition to other decisions that will soon be announced by Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State for Economic Development Hind Al-Sabeeh.

The sources said the new measures had been already studied and approved by the Cabinet with the aim of regulating the presence of marginal laborers and assessing the actual needs of the local labor market. They said expected government decisions include banning the renewal of marginal laborers’ work permits and residency visas.

Moreover, strict instructions will be given to accurately assess the labor needed with more focus on qualified workers, the sources added, noting that the government believes that the manpower authority and interior ministry have so far failed to stop visa trafficking, which called for forming a special team to study various legislations to amend them and stop manipulations by traffickers.

“Reducing the number of expats in Kuwait is not the target – the government only aims to regulate their presence by focusing on allowing in only qualified and skilled workers,” the sources underlined, noting that once the new measures are in effect, Kuwait will be able to get rid of a million marginal laborers within seven years.

Meanwhile, the local Al-Rai daily reported that Sabeeh said the minister of social affairs and labor is open to study any proposed amendments of the private sector labor law. “Any amendment for the good of citizens working in the private sector will be taken into full consideration,” she underlined, noting that the government is keen on encouraging citizens to work in the private sector by providing more vocational security for them, revising their indemnities, and article 70 of law number 85/2017 pertaining official vacations.

Manpower Authority Director Ahmed Al-Moussa said the authority is coordinating with various government bodies in terms of monitoring and inspecting employers in general and government projects in particular. He said that bodies concerned with the inspection process have been technically linked. Moussa added that in coordination with the interior ministry, the authority launched several inspection campaigns that resulted in detecting some violations and referred them – through residency detectives – to the public prosecution.

By A Saleh and Meshaal Al-Enezi

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KUWAIT: The Drugs Control General Department arrested a citizen with four kilograms of shabu and one kilogram of hashish, along with a drone used in smuggling drugs from a neighboring country. A security source said a warrant was obtained, and an undercover agent was sent to the suspect to buy drugs. The suspect did not feel safe during the exchange and deliberately collided with a police patrol car, but he was stopped and the drugs were found with him. Police found more drugs and a large drone in his house. The suspect confessed to using the drone for smuggling drugs.

Salmiya fire
Fire broke out in a Salmiya building yesterday. Salmiya and Bidaa fire stations responded and found the fire was on the ground floor. Residents were evacuated and the fire was put out. No injuries were reported. Meanwhile, an investigation was opened to determine the cause of the fire.

Safety conditions
Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD) Deputy Director General for the Prevention Sector Maj Gen Khalid Abdullah Fahd said the directorate adopted a new unified system of safety conditions and preventive supervision to be implemented from January. The announcement was made during a seminar at the prevention sector for directors and superiors to be oriented with the new guidelines. Separately, Director General of KFSD Lt Gen Khalid Al-Mikrad headed an official delegation to the Netherlands to check the most modern fire equipment to deal with rain and floods that are made by a prominent company.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

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KUWAIT: As the parliamentary foreign affairs committee met victims of a real estate scam and heard their complaints, committee rapporteur MP Abdullah Fahhad said the number of victims is in the thousands, who were swindled out of KD 1 billion. Fahhad said he asked the foreign ministry to help citizens who were defrauded abroad. He said the state did not pay attention to this problem until it became known in the media and the appearance of victims in the thousands. – Al-Jarida

Scam
An employee in the oil sector lost KD 4,000 from his bank account within minutes after receiving a call from a swindler who told him he had won KD 20,000. This event comes on the heels of many other similar cases despite warnings not to give PIN codes to anyone, and no one is supposed to ask for such information. A police source said a citizen in his 50s told Ardhiya police station he received a call from an English-speaking person who told him he had won KD 20,000 and asked for his account number. He then asked for the PIN. The citizen then received a message telling him the money was withdrawn. Investigations are underway. – Al-Anbaa

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KUWAIT: Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah has given China’s Poly Art Museum a rare antique out of his own personal collection.

The Chinese museum received the exquisite object, which is believed to date back to a turbulent era in Chinese history – circa 422 to 771 BC – in a lavish ceremony yesterday, read a statement by the Kuwaiti Embassy in Beijing.

The antique, which belongs to HH the Amir’s envoy, resembles a phoenix, which in Chinese mythology is a sacred bird that symbolizes resurrection, the statement revealed, emphasizing “recent progress” in Kuwait’s ties with the world’s most populous nation. – KUNA

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KU hosts seminar on fisheries, fish catches decline

KUWAIT: The Department of Marine Science at Kuwait University (KU) hosted a seminar titled ‘The boom and bust of Kuwait fisheries – why fish catches are declining’ on Tuesday at its premises. It was presented by Abdulrahman Ben-Hasan, PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia. He spoke about Kuwait’s fisheries, defining it as the interaction between fishing gear and fish. “This includes trap fishing and shrimping. Fisheries in Kuwait have three forms – bottom trawling fishing that is the most valuable and targets shrimp and fish. Gillnet fishing targets pelagic species including zubaidi, suboor, nuwaibi, and maid. Gargoor trap fishing targets demersal species including hamoor, hamra, shaem and shiery,” Ben-Hasan said.

Catches of most commercial species have declined sharply since 1995, with the decline of suboor the most dramatic. “Prices increased tremendously – by over 366 percent – of suboor from 1995, while catches dropped by 90 percent. For nuwaibi, the price hiked by 229 percent and the catch dropped by 72 percent, zubaidi’s price hiked by 136 percent and its catch dropped by 87 percent, and so on,” he explained. “There are no signs of recovery and the average price keeps increasing, with more than 100 percent relative to 2001 prices, which shows economically successful fisheries. But when we look at the huge declines in catches, we see it is more distinctive than successful fishery,” he added.

Overfishing
The first suspect behind catch declines is overfishing. “Overfishing is harvesting fish stock at a rate higher than natural reproduction. In extreme overfishing, the population will continue to decline and could become extinct. In Kuwait, we suffer from Malthusian overfishing, which is too many fishermen chasing too few fish,” said Ben-Hasan.
In Kuwait, fishing typically operates under an open-access regime with certain input controls. “We have no license limitation programs in our fisheries and no output controls, which mean there is no quota that is applied in developed countries. Regulations are weakly enforced, and fisheries are subsidized both directly and indirectly. Subsidies make fishing cheaper,” he noted.

“Over the last 10 years, shrimp averaged around 40 percent of the total catch. In 2012, Kuwait’s shrimp stock experienced overfishing. Hamoor is another example of overfishing – we estimate its declining trend due to very high and unsustainable fishing pressure. The normal pressure should be taking around 10 percent of the population, but actually we are taking around 30 percent of the population each year,” he further said.
The second suspect is the environment. “There are too many cases where reductions in fishing have completely failed to result in the desired recovery. On the west coast of Canada, complete closures of major fisheries for 20 years have been implemented since the mid-1990s with no signs of recovery, as the fish didn’t come back,” said Ben-Hasan.

Marine environmental issues
“We have coastal development and landfills, discharge of untreated sewage, release of significant amount of brine associated with desalination plants and reduction of the freshwater flow of Shatt Al-Arab due to dams. This is mainly due to two reasons – river-sea interaction and fish abundance. The higher freshwater flow causes higher catches. The problem is in damming the Tigris and Euphrates rivers,” he added.

Today, the Shatt Al-Arab’s flow is very weak. “Drought and dams allow saltwater to invade, threatening people and the ancient marshes of Mesopotamia. The flow rate of Shatt Al-Arab has been drastically reduced, which caused significant increase in salinity levels in the northern Gulf. The Shatt Al-Arab is ecologically important – it is a nursery habitat for many commercial species, transports essential nutrients and lowers excessive salinity, while the magnitude and seasonality of the Shatt Al-Arab trigger important biological events. Three decades of monitoring indicated that salinity has increased and has currently leveled off around 42 psu,” he explained.

It’s not known what’s causing the catch declines. “By re-evaluating the hamoor overfishing case, maybe it’s the environment. It’s important to know the answer, as it will help managers implement effective regulations. Human interactions with nature should be experimental and adaptive, because human understanding of nature is imperfect. I’m proposing here to use this concept of adaptive management to tease apart the confounding effects of overfishing and environment,” Ben-Hasan pointed out.
Continued fishing is the default policy option. “Reduced fishing can be viewed as an experimental policy option with some promise for improving future yields. If ‘reduced fishing’ increases the biomass of fish stock, then fishing is the main cause of the declining catches, if not, then it is the environment,” he said.

He concluded by saying that although Kuwait fish catches continue to decline with no signs of recovery, management measures are absent. “In 2016, the Gulf was intruding up to 100 km inland, implying that the Shatt Al-Arab flow is very weak, which is extremely worrying. To get the management part right, we need to know what is causing the decline in fish catches; one way to do this is by using adaptive management,” concluded Ben-Hasan.

By Nawara Fattahova

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