KUWAIT: Kuwait Authority for Partnership projects (KAPP) is set to extend the deadline previously announced to receive applications from companies wishing to take part in Kuwait National Rail Road (KNRR) project, and defer it from the first quarter to the second quarter of 2017. KAPP justified the decision by saying it was busy with contracting technical, legal and financial advisors for the project since late 2016. KAPP said that the project comprises of six packages including design, construction, funding and major maintenance of all sides of infrastructure, routes, railway system, terminals in Kuwait, and operating the cargo train company. The authority added that responsibility over the project was transferred from the Ministry of Utilities to the Public Authority for Roads and Transport.

KNPC reshuffles

Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) CEO Mohammed Al-Mutairi issued a decision to cancel the position of Deputy CEO for Shuaiba Port, and adding his job's tasks to those of the deputy CEO for Abdullah Port. The decision also cancelled the position of deputy CEO for Al-Zour refinery and transferred responsibility over the refinery from KNPC to Petrochemicals Industries Company (PIC) effective from April 3, 2017.  The decisions also included appointing Jamal Essa Alloghani as deputy CEO for fuel supplies, Nasser Majed Al-Shamma' as deputy CEO for support services, Shokri Abdul Aziz Al-Mahrous as deputy CEO for finance and planning, Essa Al-Essa as deputy CEO for commerce and administration, Mutalq Rashed Al-Azmi as deputy CEO for Abullah Port effective from April 3, 2017 in addition to transferring Ali Abdullah Ahmad to work as CEO advisor effective from March 22, 2017 until his contract ends on April 3, 2017.

National labor

Deputy Director for Recruitment Affairs at the Public Authority for Manpower Ahmad Al-Mossa urged companies contracting with the government to review the percentage of national labor working for non-governmental bodies. Mossa added that the authority had finished automating the procedures needed to apply the new national labor ratios with companies contracted with the government to avoid suspending their files.

Assessment

Assistant Undersecretary for Administrative Affairs at the Ministry of Health Marzouq Al-Rasheedi said that the ministry has finished assessing the performance of all medical, technical and administrative employees for 2016. He added that the total 2,400 assessors evaluated 53,334 employees.

Meters

The Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) fined some of the companies contracted to connect and disconnect power and read consumption meters because they had not been doing their tasks properly, as per the State Audit Bureau reports. MEW is working hard to issue consumption bills regularly prior to using the new consumption fare, especially since MEW's consumers sector managed to update and replace half of the malfunctioning meters in Kuwait in 45 days.

Delayed salaries

Meanwhile, general secretary of MEW's employees syndicate, Nawaf Boyabes reassured laborers whose wages had been delayed that salaries for two months will be deposited to their bank accounts by today. Boyabes added that the syndicate will continue following up the issue so that all overdue wages be fully paid.

Sports ban

Chairman of the parliament's youth and sports committee MP Saadon Hammad stressed that the committee approved amending five laws including law number 26/2012. Hammad added that the committee met in the presence of Minister of Commerce and Industry, Acting Minister if Youth Affairs Khaled Al-Roudhan and Public Authority for Sports (PAS) member to discuss amendments that will help lift Kuwait's sports ban.

By A Saleh