KUWAIT: Zain, the leading digital service provider in Kuwait, announced the continuation of its support to the humanitarian efforts exerted by the Kuwait Food Bank. Zain’s continuous support comes as part of its strategic partnership with the bank, which organizes many relief campaigns inside and outside of Kuwait.

Zain spares no efforts to achieve its comprehensive corporate sustainability and social responsibly strategy that closely focuses on supporting humanitarian initiatives. The company strongly believes that launching and supporting humanitarian initiatives helps to infuse a sense of responsibility into members of the society, and help support those who are in need of help.

Zain recently allocated the entire proceeds of this year’s Waqf to the humanitarian efforts and campaigns of the Kuwait Food Bank, including the distribution of food baskets and essential winter needs to underprivileged individuals and families. This has led The Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation (KAPF) to recognize Zain last month.

Zain expressed its pride in this recognition from KAPF, which further highlights the company’s commitment in enriching the culture of giving and social contribution through launching humanitarian campaigns and supporting initiatives adopted by leading non-profit organizations inside and outside of Kuwait. Zain prides itself on the long track of records and contributions it has put in philanthropic areas over the years, being one of the leading companies in the private sector.

The Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation recognized Zain in 2018 for its role as one of the first Kuwaiti companies to dedicate a KD 1 million Waqf at KAPF since 1996 as endorsed by the Board of Directors, where all of the Waqf’s annual proceeds are dedicated for various charity programs every year.

Last year’s entire proceeds were dedicated to the humanitarian efforts of the Kuwait Food Bank both inside and outside of Kuwait. Such efforts included distributing meals, holding iftar banquets, offering food baskets, as well as conducting relief campaigns all year round.

Zain is proud of its long list of programs and contributions that serve noble causes through strategically partnering with entities that adopt humanitarian work, including non-profit organizations, governmental institutions, and global entities.

By Meshaal Al-Enezi

KUWAIT: The Secretariat General of the Supreme Council of Planning and Development yesterday signed a memo of understanding with the ministry of higher education to dispatch Kuwaiti students on scholarships to get PhDs in cognitive economies and knowledge and creativity management as part of the National Knowledge Economy Center’s programs.

The memo was signed by Minister of Finance and Acting Minster of State for Economic Affairs Mariam Al-Aqeel and Education Minister Saud Al-Harbi in the presence of the secretary general of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development Khaled Mahdi. Aqeel said that the memo was signed because the supreme council’s secretariat general supervises the ‘Kuwait Knowledge Seat’ within the activities of the NKEC and the ministry of higher education.

Aqeel added that according to the memo, students meeting the set conditions would be dispatched on four-year scholarships to get PhD degrees in cognitive economies and knowledge and creativity management. She pointed out that the Kuwait Knowledge Seat is an NKEC program that targets investment in national manpower, giving them access to scientific research resources to improve the productivity of scientific research within Kuwait.

Aqeel added as one of the leading projects in the region, the search engine project is one specialized in cognitive economies that aims at enabling national scientific researchers to produce more scientific researches through access to international scientific journal and periodical websites.

Harbi said the agreement enhances communal partnership, namely in the field of cognitive economies, which already need substantial leaps to help Kuwait face the challenge of exploring new economic opportunities and put an end to relying on one source of income. “Therefore, cognitive economies are an integral part of a national vision and an educational necessity,” he underlined.

Mahdi also expressed his joy on signing the memo and explained that the program ensures dispatching scholarships upon coordination with the ministry of higher education. He also noted that special committees would be formed to set the selection conditions.

Municipality allowances
Head of the Kuwait Municipality employees’ syndicate Mohammed Abdullah Al-Aradah said the municipality had contacted the Civil Services Commission (CSC) on Jan 19 concerning the payment of hazard, pollution and noise allowances for gravediggers, undertakers and drivers working at the funeral department. Aradah added that according to the Civil Services Commission resolution number 13/2012, allowances demanded are KD 35 for each of the above categories.

Separately, the Capital municipality inspection team conducted a field tour to inspect all violations of state property and those committed by stores and various installations. In this regard, team leader Zaid Al-Enezi said the campaign resulted in filing five citations for unlicensed ads, issuing four warning notices for public property violations and dealing with eight complaints reported through the team’s hotline.

KUWAIT: Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Molecular Imaging Center (JAC), one of the centers of Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), announced receiving the European Association of Nuclear Medicine Research Ltd (EARL) certificate in molecular imaging, after meeting the European positron imaging quality standards.

Director of JAC Dr Fahad Marafi said that the EARL certificate showed the level and efficiency of medical imaging. JAC was the only center in Kuwait specialized in producing unique radioactive materials, according to internationally accredited terms, for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), certified and approved by the Ministry of Health (MoH), Marafi said.

Meanwhile, Head of JAC’s Nuclear Medicine Department Dr Mahmoud Alfeeli, confirmed that they are keen on bringing their health services to international levels. This comes in line with MoH’s plan to provide the best medical services to patients, conforming to worldwide standards, Alfeeli added.

In turn, Head of the Nuclear Medicine Physics Unit at JAC Hanan Al-Dosari said that they conducted the necessary tests to obtain this certificate for a full year. JAC finally began producing the latest radioactive positron material to film the division of cancerous tumors, to be the first medical center in the Middle East to produce this substance, while being GMP certified. – KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry said yesterday that Britain’s impending withdrawal from the European Union (EU) is a “viable” opportunity for better trade ties with the UK. Kuwait has made palpable progress over introducing more simplified business procedures, which would prove instrumental in improving the country’s ties with the UK, according to chamber member Dr Dharar Al-Ghanem.

Kuwait and Britain have witnessed a milestone in their historic relationship, having recently marked the 120th anniversary of the Anglo-Kuwaiti Agreement of 1899, which was the catalyst for stronger bilateral ties, he said amid a meeting with a UK trade delegation headed by British Ambassador Michael Davenport. Britain views Kuwait as an important trade partner, said the envoy, who heaped praise on the county for the meteoric growth it has recently achieved. – KUNA

By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: Under the patronage of Minister of Finance and Acting Minister of State for Economic Affairs Mariam Al-Aqeel, the Horeca Kuwait 2020 exhibition opened yesterday at the Kuwait International Fairground in Mishref with the participation of a number of specialized companies in hospitality, catering and hotel equipment, including many international brands interested in the Kuwaiti and Gulf markets. The ninth edition of Horeca Kuwait is organized by the Leaders Group Company for Consulting and Development in collaboration with the Hospitality Services Company.

During the opening ceremony, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development Dr Khaled Mahdi said that the Horeca exhibition has been successful for nine years and contributes to the growth of a number of the most vital sectors for people’s lives and their food security, health, welfare and prosperity.

He stressed that the exhibition is in line with the development plan inspired by the vision of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, which focuses on mobilizing all efforts to transform Kuwait into a leading regional financial, commercial and cultural hub by 2035. “The Kuwait Vision 2035 also stresses the necessity of creating an investment attracting environment, encouraging the private sector to lead development, providing it with the suitable business environment, diversifying the production base and developing national tourism. However, all these require sufficient flourishing of activities,” he added.

Mahdi noted that tourism is one of the non-oil revenue-creating sectors, and is bound to improve with time according to the projections of the World Travel and Tourism Council, which predicts a 4.8 percent annual growth until 2028. He explained that this rate will be enhanced with the transformation of the country into a financial and commercial hub, and with the Silk Road project in cooperation with China out of the strategic partnership in the framework of the Belt and Road initiative.

“The development we believe in and pursue aims to eventually improve the standard of living and welfare of our people. We are well aware that the flourishing of the economy, the entertainment and hospitality services and other ambitions in ‘New Kuwait’ will reflect positively on the improvement of the quality of life for all citizens,” Mahdi said. In conclusion, he added that Kuwait is rich in the potential of its strong-willed youth who comprise more than 70 percent of the population.

Nabila Al Anjari, Head of Horeca Kuwait’s organizing committee and General Manager of Leaders Group for Consulting and Development Company, said in her speech, “Today, we celebrate achieving record and comprehensive success indicators in terms of the number and categories of sponsors, participants, contestants in the cooking competitions and online applications to visit the exhibition. There has been a marked increase in outside interest, not just through the participation of international brands and products, but also through the participation for the first time of several foreign business councils.”

“Horeca Kuwait has made a qualitative and quantitative leap and defied many obstacles,” she indicated. “This leap is more valuable because it was achieved at a time when tourism in Kuwait, unlike all countries in the region and the world, was not receiving sufficient attention.”

“As a result, the contribution of tourism in Kuwait, which affects hospitality in general, remains limited at 2.8 percent in 2018 and under KD 1 billion, while the percentage is much higher in other GCC countries,” she added. “UAE topped the global rate with tourism and travel contributing over 12 percent of GDP, while Saudi Arabia has gone a long way towards implementing its strategy of raising tourism contribution from three to 10 percent in 10 years with the creation of 1.5 million jobs mostly for the youth.

Meanwhile, this percentage is up 10 percent in Bahrain and Qatar. Likewise, Oman is implementing its strategy of increasing the contribution of tourism and travel from under six percent in 2017 to nine percent in the next few years.” “Statistics and figures confirm that we are witnessing global and regional trends from which Kuwait cannot remain isolated,” she proclaimed.

“They also reflect that tourism, travel, hospitality and entertainment in the more advanced, growing and rich countries provide major contribution to economic, social and cultural development.” She also urged Kuwait to keep up with the growth and development of the tourism and travel industry in the region as studies expect the direct contribution of tourism in the GCC region to increase from $58 million in 2018 to $120 million in 2027 according.

KUWAIT: Restating grilling as a constitutional right, the Kuwaiti Cabinet yesterday voiced utter confidence in the ability of Minister of Social Affairs Ghadeer Aseeri to address a grilling at parliament today. The Cabinet also said it totally backs the minister, reassuring that her stand versus the aspects of the interpellation is unquestionably sound.

The Cabinet made the remark in a press statement following its customary weekly meeting presided over by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. The minister of social affairs made a briefing during the meeting on all the points and facts of the query motion, filed by MP Adel Al-Damkhi.

At the onset of the weekly meeting, the Cabinet approved a draft decree pertinent to an air service agreement between Kuwait and Rwanda, in addition to a draft decree bearing on the extended term of Kuwaiti representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) advisory body for three years. Internationally, the Kuwaiti Cabinet congratulated Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei on his recent inauguration, wishing him the best of luck and the people of Guatemala more progress and welfare. It also congratulated Croatian President Zoran Milanovic on victory in the recent presidential election.

The Cabinet further voiced sympathy with the Philippine government over the impacts of a volcano that hit Manila recently, while emphatically condemned a recent terrorist attack in Somalia, which left dozens of military personnel and civilians either dead or injured. The Kuwaiti ministers denounced a recent ballistic attack by Yemen Houthi militia on a military camp in the eastern Yemeni city of Marib, which caused heavy casualties.

In this regard, the ministers vehemently denounced such a criminal act that reflected the determination of Houthis group to pursue disrupting Yemen’s security and stability and intimidating innocents. It called on the international community to move earnestly to put an end to these criminal acts and the protracted conflict in Yemen. Finally, the Cabinet voiced sympathy with Algeria and Czech over the victims of a vehicle accident and a fire that took place there respectively. – KUNA

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: Confusion overshadowed the Philippine labor deployment ban to Kuwait when visiting Philippine Special Envoy to the Middle East Abdullah Mamao announced late Sunday during a Filipino community meeting that Senator Bong Go has agreed to implement a temporary ban instead of a total deployment ban. “I have been in constant communication with the office of the president through Senator Bong Go; he advised me that as far as the earlier decision (to implement a total ban) is concerned, it has now changed to a temporary ban.

Skilled and semi-skilled workers can now be deployed to Kuwait. I am waiting for the final announcement of this new development from the office of the president, as we are not pursuing the ban for skilled and unskilled workers, including professionals. I hope there will be changes because I relayed this information to Kuwait,” Mamao told several Filipino community leaders at the embassy.

However, in an interview on government radio in Manila, Philippines Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III said he is not in favor of a temporary ban since the implementation of the total ban was based on the autopsy of the gruesome murder of Filipina housemaid Jeanelyn Villavende.

“I spoke to Secretary Mamao and told him about my decision with regards to our earlier resolution by the governing board of the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) that we implemented on January 15. It was a total deployment ban and it will stay. It covers all workers, including skilled, semi-skilled and professionals. No more deployment – we are only allowing returning skilled workers and professionals to go back to Kuwait if they are vacationing here. They can go back to their workplaces, but we won’t allow domestic helpers to return, including semi-skilled workers,” he said.

Bello was asked if he had spoken to Mamao regarding his announcement in Kuwait late Sunday. “Yes, I spoke to him and explained to him why the total ban was implemented. He told me that the total ban should be implemented only for domestic helpers. But I replied that we should study his proposal first, because the total deployment ban was a result of a gruesome murder of our fellow countrywoman in Kuwait and the alleged cover-up done in the autopsy of the body of Jeanelyn Villavende. It wasn’t the real result, as shown in the autopsy of the body by our National Bureau of Investigation,” Bello argued.

“Thirdly, the president in 2018 had declared a total deployment ban to Kuwait because of the death of Joana Demafeles (whose body was found in the freezer of her employer). It was only lifted when the Kuwaiti government agreed to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine government.

In that agreement, we specifically cited that we should have our own standard employment contract to be signed by the employers, our workers and the foreign recruitment agency including the Philippine employment agency. Till now it is not being implemented, among others. So that we can be assured of the welfare of our countrymen, we have to agree on that and implement it once and for all. I told Secretary Mamao that I am ready to talk to them so we can give total protection to our workers,” Bello said.

On Jan 15, DOLE together with POEA decided to impose a total ban on the deployment of newly-hired workers to Kuwait, including domestic helpers and skilled and unskilled laborers. However, returning skilled workers and professionals are exempted from the ban, but domestic helpers and semi-skilled workers who are on vacation will not be allowed to return to their sponsors. Manila had implemented a partial ban on domestic helpers bound to Kuwait on Jan 3 as its immediate response to the killing of Villavende by her sponsor.

The killing of Villavende is the latest in a series of abuses faced by Filipino workers in the Middle East, the main destination for about 3,000 Filipinos who leave the country daily on temporary foreign work permits. Women tend to work as domestic workers while men are mostly employed in construction and other sectors. Around 10 million Filipinos are migrant workers overseas and their remittances account for more than 10 percent of the country’s GDP.

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received yesterday at Bayan Palace Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani who conveyed to His Highness the Amir a message from Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

The message contained long-standing relations that unite the two countries and ways of supporting and developing them in all fields as well as issues of common concern. In return, His Highness the Amir wished health and prosperity to Qatar’s Amir and Qatari people. Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah attended the meeting.

Earlier yesterday, His Highness the Amir received newly appointed Ambassadors to Kuwait. His Highness received the credentials of Ambassador of Tanzania Aisha Salim Amour, Ambassador of Japan Masato Takaoka and Pakistan’s Ambassador Syed Sajjad Haider.

Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad, Amiri Diwan Affairs Minister Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Amiri Diwan Undersecretary and His Highness the Amir’s Chief of Staff Ahmad Fahad Al-Fahad, and Head of Amiri Protocols Sheikh Khaled Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah attended the meetings.

His Highness the Amir also received the visiting Lebanese head of a religious institution Sayyed Ali Mohammad Hussein Fadhlallah. Meanwhile, His Highness the Amir headed the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences’ (KFAS) meeting.

In the meantime, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday congratulated his compatriot Dr Wadah Al-Refai after he was named the best surgical oncologist in the US state of Washington last year.

His Highness the Amir expressed his warm sentiments in a cable he sent to the Kuwaiti physician, who was installed as the John Dillon Chair in Surgical Oncology at Georgetown University, an achievement that garnered him the adulation of the Kuwaiti leadership.

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sent similar cables to the Kuwaiti surgeon. – KUNA

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: Lawmakers yesterday intensified their criticism of Finance Minister Mariam Al-Aqeel for saying there is a need to revise the wages of civil servants and consider imposing taxes and charges. MP Abdulwahab Al-Babtain disputed the figures provided by the minister while presenting the new budget for 2020/2021, saying there is always a difference of more than one billion dinars between actual and government figures. He also disputed what the minister said, that government departments demanded KD 27 billion and that the ministry reduced the figure to KD 22.5 billion, doubting this huge figure could be right.

Babtain said that touching the wages of Kuwaitis is a red line, adding that “don’t think about borrowing or imposing taxes or (reducing) salaries of Kuwaitis, and if you are incapable of avoiding these, you should resign”. He said that in the 2016/17 fiscal year, the projected deficit was the highest ever at KD 9.6 billion, but the minister said next year’s projected deficit of KD 9.2 billion was a record high in order to scare the people, adding that it is still an estimate and not an actual deficit. He said the minister also failed to mention the returns on Kuwait’s massive investments.

The lawmaker warned that any step by the minister to reconsider wages will force MPs to reconsider their positions toward her, saying that in the last budget, wages accounted for just KD 7.2 billion and not as mentioned. Babtain challenged Aqeel to make public the actual figures about Kuwait’s investments abroad and the value of the sovereign wealth fund.

He said the minister claims there is a budget deficit, while KD 20 billion of profits are “seized” by a number of state establishments, and there is KD 1.3 billion in state debt that should be collected, adding that foreign aid was set at KD 100 million but ballooned to KD 600 million. Babtain said the cost of the Eurofighter jets and Caracal helicopters is KD 6 billion, and “if we add to them the scale of corruption at the interior ministry…and other embezzlements of public funds, the total will be KD 13.19 billion, and this will be more than enough to meet the deficit”.

MP Saleh Ashour said that the chapter for wages and others covers nine items and the item for wages is KD 5.5 billion only, or just 25 percent of spending. MP Ali Al-Deqbasi sent a series of questions to the finance minister asking why the minister had raised the issue of amending wages without previously consulting the National Assembly.

Meanwhile, the Assembly will debate today a grilling against Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Ghadeer Aseeri over violating the constitution and undermining the status of MPs. The minister said she is ready to debate the grilling and will not ask for another delay. Assembly speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem said the Assembly is set for the debate and called for a high-level debate, adding that he will not allow anyone to disrupt the session.

CAIRO: The Kuwaiti Cultural Office in Cairo held a ceremony, under the auspices of the Kuwaiti Minister of Education (MoE) Dr Saud Al-Harbi, over being the first Kuwaiti cultural bureau in the Middle East to win three International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certificates. Assistant Undersecretary for Administrative and Financial Affairs Lamia Al-Mulhem, in a statement on behalf of Harbi Monday night, thanked Head of Cairo’s Kuwaiti Cultural Office Dr Ahmad Al-Mutairi and its workers.

Mulhem emphasized that these certificates are only the beginning of doing more for the sake of excellence and contribution to achieving Kuwait’s 2035 vision and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the quality of education, which will positively reflect on the labor market’s outputs. The concept of high quality goes beyond the traditional notion of work with nonstop improvement, also a futuristic vision that includes supporting the educational system and achieving excellence in institutions of higher education, which was an urgent necessity embodied by the Cultural Office in Cairo.

Meanwhile, Dr Mutairi said he was proud of Egypt’s first Office, over winning ISO (9001-2015) on quality management, ISO (45001-2018) on vocational safety and 14001-2015 on environment protection. The development process in the Office was not a result of the moment, but was sought in the office since the end of 2016, indicating that the process of modernization continued throughout that period and included all cultural, academic and administrative aspects, he said. He pointed out that the world was shifting attention to a new, complete, major economy in creating wealth, indicating that educational institutions are the basis and essence of this new economy.

In the past, the capital that the nations sought were possession of natural resources, including oil, gas, minerals, agriculture and water, Mutairi continued. These wealthy resources, despite their current importance, retreated in front of the new capital, which was the economy of knowledge, based on scholars and advanced educational institutions, searching for innovations, inventions, ideas and values, he said.

The first and most important institutions in this new economy were the MoE, Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), universities and research centers that are interested in scientific research, creativity and innovation, he mentioned. He underlined that this was a strategic and not an end goal, but rather a way that was no longer a choice and just a single option for fearlessness of Kuwait’s Vision. He underscored that this quality has become a global demand that is indispensable in all countries and a challenge that mobilizes the collective efforts of various people in higher education systems.

Speaking on the sidelines of the ceremony, Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Dr Khaled Abdulghaffar said that this success was evidence of the highest academic, technical work and interest in the quality of the educational process to serve students belonging to Kuwait. He admired the cooperation between Kuwait and Egypt in various fields, especially of higher education, mentioning that the largest percentage of international students coming to Egypt were Kuwaiti students. In this context, he pointed to the nonstop communication with the Office to overcome all obstacles facing Kuwaiti students, whether it was during the stage of graduate studies or bachelor’s degree. – KUNA

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Central Blood Bank at the Ministry of Health (MoH) organized a blood donation campaign yesterday at the headquarters of Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), said a ministry official tasked with blood transfusions.

Director of the Department of Blood Transfusion Services at MoH Dr Reem Al-Radhwan said that the campaign aimed to spread the concept of giving, saving the lives of patients while maintaining the strategic stock of blood.

The Blood Bank is always organizing donation events, and the number of donation campaigns in 2019 reached 263 collecting 16,363 blood bags, she said. This year, they aspired to increase the number of donors from previous years, to change the concept of needing to donate since it is vital at all times, she underlined.

She thanked government and private institutions for supporting the issue of donation with their dedicated role in these campaigns, contributing to increasing the blood stock. – KUNA

KUWAIT: Ukraine possesses “enticing” investment legislation, in addition to an alluring business environment, Kuwait’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) said yesterday. Kuwait and Ukraine’s “ever-growing” cooperation encompasses numerous fields, including agriculture, information technology and industry, KCCI’s deputy chairman Abdulwahab Al-Wazan said as he met with a Ukrainian trade delegation.

Kuwait’s Chamber of Commerce encourages nationals to invest in the European nation, he said, while simultaneously urging Ukrainian firms to contribute towards Kuwait’s development plans. He went on to say that a “lack of direct flights between Kuwait and Ukraine” is the only impediment to bilateral trade growth, hoping the issue will be sorted out for the good of investors.

As “ripe ground” for foreign investment, Ukraine enjoys enduring and solid relations with Kuwait, according to the Oil Ministry’s undersecretary Sheikh Nimr Al-Sabah. Meanwhile, chief of a joint Arab and Ukrainian business council said that Kuwait wields much political and economic influence in the Middle East, pointing out that the European nation is eager for better trade ties with Kuwait. Kuwait has established solid international relations thanks to the country’s diplomatic prowess, Dr Imad Abualrab said amid a visit to KCCI yesterday.

Ukraine views Kuwait as a “launchpad” for a possible foray into business in the region, added the official, revealing that Kuwait was the first Arab nation to open an embassy in Ukraine. On Ukraine’s agriculture sector, he said that Kiev is the fourth largest exporter of corn and barley and the sixth largest exporter of wheat in the world. On the council’s primary objective, he said it serves as an advisory for foreign investors in Ukraine, apprising them of the ample business opportunities that await them. – KUNA

KUWAIT: Zain, the leading digital service provider in Kuwait, announced its strategic partnership with the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) second Forum for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) 2020. The event, which comes in collaboration with the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) and the Public Authority of the Disabled, is held on 20-23 January 2019.

Zain’s strategic partnership comes as part of its Group-wide ‘WE ABLE’ initiative, which mainly aims at complementing the company’s gender diversity and inclusion program by enriching disability inclusion in the workplace. The immediate aim of the disability inclusion initiative is to increase the number of people with disabilities within the Zain workforce, ensure all training programs are disability inclusive, guarantee that accessibility across all Zain touchpoints are disability inclusive, and identify innovative and assistive technologies enabling more people with disabilities to join the company and succeed.

Zain hosted a special session and workshop at the Zain Innovation Center (ZINC) in the company’s main headquarters in Shuwaikh, where Usability Testing Expert Zeliha (Zel) Iscel discussed many topics related to enhancing web accessibility to the visually impaired and people with special needs. The session also discussed the latest technologies and tools that are used to make the web more accessible in line with the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) global web standards.

The W3C second Forum for the GCC 2020 will also include many special sessions and workshops featuring local and international speakers, including a special session by Zain. The forum will also feature a Hackathon challenge that focuses on developing software tools that allow people with special needs to access the web.

Zain is keen on reinforcing its partnerships with the many local and international entities that cater to people with special needs within the community all year round. The company is proud to have partnered with this initiative that caters to this valued segment of the society, especially with regards to making the web a more accessible place for them.

Zain constantly shoulders initiatives that work towards enhancing the society’s welfare. The company’s long-term cooperation with the various private and public entities that cater to people with special needs springs from its belief in the importance of having a positive print by supporting and launching initiatives that cater to various interests of the community.

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Science Club (KSC) will be hosting the 12th International Invention Fair in the Middle East from Feb 16-19, 2020. The fair is being held under the patronage of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and the organizers expect even more participants this year.

Secretary General of KSC and member of the organizing committee Dr Yahya Abdaal appreciated the generous sponsorship of HH the Amir of this fair since its first edition in 2007. “This generous support made this fair rank as the second biggest and most popular fair for inventors in the world. Without this support, we wouldn’t have reached this success, which is a benefit for the whole country,” he said during a press conference held on Monday.

The four-day fair will include various social and scientific activities. “The main purpose of this fair is to support inventors and improve their skills and creativity. Also, some new sponsors are participating this year including Kuwait University, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Public Authority for Applied Education and Training and others. We expect to have more countries participating in this fair as well,” stressed Abdaal.

Treasurer of KSC Aws Al-Nisef said the main reason for holding the International Invention Fair in the Middle East is to offer an investment and marketing opportunity for inventions to be realized. In the past, Kuwaiti inventors didn’t find support or adoption of their inventions to develop into commercial projects, but today they do. This inspired the title of the fair: ‘Investors meeting Inventors’,” he explained.

“The fair attracts businessmen and industrial and economic bodies, which is considered a support of KSC for the inventors. This fair is the first of its kind to present such huge financial prizes exceeding $50,000. These prizes were set to encourage and support inventors,” Nisef added.

“The main prize is $15,000, KSC’s prize is $10,000, International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva presents a $5,000 prize and the GCC Patent Office presents 50,000 Saudi riyals, in addition to a prize presented by the World Intellectual Property Organization and another prize by the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations,” concluded Nisef.

Head of Development and Competitive Programs at KSC Mohammed Al-Saffar said participation in the fair is still open. “Early participation has closed, but late participation is still available and will end in two weeks. Currently, we don’t have the exact number of participants as we are still accepting registrations, but we expect the number to be higher than last year. The huge attendance in this fair in the past years reflects its success. We started preparing for this event at the end of the previous fair,” he pointed out.

“The participation process starts with submitting the invention to the organizing committee, which will then classify the invention into one of the 22 categories of the fair. The invention should have an international patent certificate and it shouldn’t have previously participated in this fair in the past years,” added Saffar.

Participating inventions must adhere to certain criteria. “The judging committee consists of specialists from the field from various institutions and nationalities with long experience. Various criteria will be considered for the inventions, including when they were invented, creativity and ability to be marketed,” he explained.

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received at Bayan Palace yesterday His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. His Highness the Amir also received an invitation from Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to attend the closing ceremony of King Abdulaziz Camel Festival in Riyadh next month.

Saudi Ambassador to Kuwait Prince Sultan bin Saad bin Khaled Al Saud handed the invitation to His Highness the Amir. Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs, Sheikh Ali Al Jarrah Al Sabah attended the meeting. Meanwhile, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah at Bayan Palace yesterday.

In other news, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent a cable of condolences yesterday to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, expressing his sincere condolences over the demise of Prince Bandar bin Muhammad bin Abdul-Rahman Al Saud. His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah sent similar cables. – KUNA

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: Informed sources said the Public Authority for Manpower has prepared a new study that includes procedures and rules related to payment of national labor allowances in the private sector. “The amendments include remedies for several recommendations approved previously by the National Assembly’s budgets committee, and also deals with comments by the State Audit Bureau in its accounting reports about the budget of the manpower authority and its annual closing accounts,” they said.

The study will be submitted to the Cabinet within days so it can be reviewed and approved by the ministerial economic committee before it receives final approval for implementation, the sources said. They added that the study will rationalize labor support by concentrating on paying actual workers in the private sector and not bogus employees.

“The new rules will make sure any citizen who receives the allowance is in Kuwait and not somewhere else, because it was discovered that there are Kuwaiti employees who work only on paper, but live in other countries whose nationality they have and keep the truth hidden,” the sources said.

The sources said the amendments guarantee employment in the private sector through the manpower authority and under its supervision, as it contacts the employer and inspections will be made to make sure that the person is really at work. “This will be repeated many times and not just once,” the sources explained.

They said there are plans to stop the national labor support paid to Kuwaitis who work in the private sector with a salary of over KD 5,000, as they are assume senior positions in private companies, receive high salaries and do not meet the true goal behind approving national labor support, which is to attract Kuwaitis to work in non-government sectors. “This means that those whose salaries are over KD 5,000 will remain in the private sector with or without the allowance,” the sources argued.

The sources said the total amount of money spent annually for national labor support in the private sector is more than KD 500 million, adding that this large amount is spent according to certain conditions sat by the authority’s national labor affairs sector.

Meanwhile, the manpower authority announced there are 150 job vacancies available for Kuwaitis in the private sector in various specialties. The authority said Director of Manpower Affairs Sultan Al-Shaalany will explain the most important steps the authority adopts in the next stage in order to employ the largest number of citizens in the private sector and provide them with a suitable atmosphere.

It said the incentives available made a large number of youth work in the private sector, especially since the manpower authority coordinated with a large number of banks and major companies to support youth employment and provide them with job opportunities.

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: Ten opposition lawmakers yesterday filed a no-confidence motion against Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Ghadeer Aseeri following a short grilling debate in which the minister denied she violated the constitution. Meanwhile, the Assembly is expected to ratify the new neutral zone pact signed with Saudi Arabia last month in the divided zone after the foreign relations committee approved the agreement. The pact has confirmed Saudi and Kuwaiti rights and resources in the neutral zone, where oil production is divided equally between the two countries. The pact was signed following over four years of negotiations.

Before the debate started, Aseeri charged that the grilling included some unconstitutional material, but she still decided to face it to clarify her position. The grilling debate of Aseeri was one of the shortest to be witnessed by the Assembly, after MP Adel Al-Damkhi accused the minister of violating the constitution and undermining lawmakers and their voter bases.

Damkhi charged that the minister committed an act of defamation against MPs through a statement she made and later denied she made the statement. He said the minister accused MPs of circulating rumors to appease their voters, which constitutes defamation against the lawmakers and their voters. He said the inclusion of Aseeri in the Cabinet was wrong from the start because she had made comments against a Gulf country and against the Gulf’s Peninsula Force, adding that the minister lost credibility after denying statements she was proven to have made.

Damkhi also charged the minister of having said years before her appointment that the government was corrupt, against freedom and “purchased lawmakers through services”. He said that the government had in the past scrapped the appointment of two undersecretaries over tweets they wrote that were deemed inappropriate. He also showed a short video showing Aseeri talking about the presence of bars in Dubai and the possibility of Kuwait allowing bars under strict laws and regulations. The lawmaker said the minister had made clear positions in the past against the hijab and political Islam.

Aseeri said the timing of the grilling and its unclear language raise some question marks about its goals, adding that the grilling is questioning her about statements she might or might not have made in the past. She strongly denied allegations that she had violated the constitution, adding that the grilling was based on the police state mentality that “the defendant is guilty until proven innocent”.

The lawmakers who signed the no-confidence motion include Riyadh Al-Adasani, Abdulkarim Al-Kandari, Abdullah Al-Kandari, Abdullah Fahhad, Mohammad Hayef, Khaled Al-Otaibi, Mohammad Al-Mutair, Nayef Al-Merdas, Abdulwahab Al-Babtain and Thamer Al-Suwait. Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem said the voting on the grilling will take place on Feb 4.

KUWAIT: Inflation rates in Kuwait rose by 1.15 percent in 2019 as compared to the previous year, according to the Central Statistical Office (CSO). The average inflation rate rose, in December, by 0.17 percent, in contrast to November. Benchmark of the first group of commodities (food and beverages) rose last year by 1.76 percent compared to 2018.

Likewise, main index of the second group (tobacco and cigarettes), by 1.78 percent. Clothing climbed 2.27 percent, last year, on annual basis, while housing services dropped 0.86 percent. Inflation in the fifth group (home furniture) moved up by 3.04 percent. Similarly, health, 2.81 percent, as well as transports, 3.88 percent.

Communications also increased, 4.51 percent on annual basis, entertainment and culture, 3.21 percent and education, 2.9 percent. The sector of restaurants and hotels climbed by 1.31 percent, last year, as well as commodities and diverse services, 1.61 percent. – KUNA

By Meshaal Al-Enezi

KUWAIT: Over 20 percent of Kuwaiti children and teenagers are obese, a senior Kuwaiti physician said yesterday, adding that recent World Bank studies showed that obesity amongst children and teenagers aged 2 to 18 may reach 40 percent.

Speaking at a press conference held Monday, Head of the surgery department at Jaber Hospital and chairman of Kuwait Surgeons Association Dr Salman Al-Sabah announced launching a national campaign to fight obesity amongst children and teenagers, including a marathon to be held on Feb 22, and explaining the future health complications of obesity, such as diabetes and hypertension.

“Obesity is a huge threat in all Kuwaiti homes,” Dr Salman warned, noting that unless obesity was fought amongst children and teenagers, 80 percent of them will grow up suffering from obesity complications and have related future difficulties.

Senior pediatrician at Jaber Hospital and member of the Ministry of Health’s child protection committee Dr Danah Al-Haqqan stressed that obesity rates among children in Kuwait is 35-40 percent, adding the problem is worsening annually. “Instead of being a symptom indicating other diseases, obesity is becoming a disease itself,” she warned, noting that breastfeeding is one of the ways of protecting children from obesity along with a healthy diet and physical exercise, namely for children aged 6 to 12. Haqqan also stressed the importance of walking or jogging for adults.

Dr Wadhah Al-Yaqoot said the marathon will be held as a carnival and will also include cycling. The event organizing company’s representative Sara Abdul Aziz Al-Hubail explained that the 3-km marathon will be held on Feb 22 around Jaber Hospital’s perimeter from 8:30 am till 6:00 pm.

Terminal 2
The Ministry of Public Works (MPW) announced that 26.9 percent of Kuwait International Airport’s Terminal 2 (T2) project has been completed. This came in a statement made in a field visit by MPW undersecretary Ismael Al-Failakawi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Planning and Development Dr Khaled Mahdi and other officials, during which a presentation was made on the progress of work on the project.

Mahdi explained that the project is a substantial upgrade of infrastructure and air transport as well as a major step towards turning Kuwait into a regional commercial hub by attracting more visitors. He said the project is scheduled to be concluded by 2022 at a total cost of KD 1.312 billion, adding 75 percent of the eight obstacles the project had been facing were overcome. Mahdi also noted that 6,900 people (including 168 Kuwaitis) were working on the project.

Jleeb campaign
Farwaniya municipal inspection teams launched an inspection campaign in Jleeb, said Farwaniya municipality cleaning manager Saad Al-Khrainej, noting that the campaign resulted in arresting 18 peddlers and referring them to relevant authorities pending further procedures, confiscating six truckloads of fruits, vegetables, used clothing and used furniture, removing 20 abandoned vehicles and pasting 163 warning notice stickers on others.

KUWAIT: Legal sources said Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Mansour filed a complaint with regards to suspected violations in the Eurofighter jet deal. Sources said the complaint is related to the involvement of several senior officials including a former minister and current and retired officials of the ministry.

Sources said the most notable thing in the complaint is accusing some officials of profiteering and deliberately inflating sums of defense contracts to benefit from funds spent by the state, in addition to overstepping their authorities and not receiving the required approvals, which caused great harm to public funds. – Al-Rai