Security cameras to be installed in 37 new facilities

KUWAIT: Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Housing Affairs Jenan Bushehri said the total number of expats working for the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) since 2016 make up only 3.9 percent of the ministry's total manpower. In a memo addressing the parliament, Bushehri stressed that expats work in engineering, legal, financial, technical and legal consultancy jobs and that they have all been appointed upon the Civil Service Commission's (CSC) approval. She added that MPW only renewed the contracts of 28 percent of the expats because it needs their specialties until they can be replaced by citizens. "Expat technicians older than 55 will be replaced by citizens soon," she added. In a related development, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Fahd Al-Afasi said as part of the ministry's Kuwaitization strategy, the contracts of 62 expats will be terminated soon.

New schools
Well-informed educational sources said that the Ministry of Education (MoE) is about to receive 21 new school buildings and work on furnishing and equipping them is on to join service as soon as possible. "Some schools will be ready by the beginning of the next school year and others by the beginning of the second term," the sources explained. The sources added that the new schools include 11 in Ahmadi educational area (six in Wafra and five in Sabah Al-Ahmad), followed by seven in the Capital educational area, two in Farwaniya and one in Jahra. "Given that each school needs 70-100 teachers, MoE will surely need at least 1,000 teachers to run the new schools," the sources added, noting that priority will be for Kuwaitis, followed by GCC nationals and bedoons, then expats, adding that hiring teachers from outside Kuwait will be the last resort.

Security cameras
The Cabinet issue a resolution adding 37 facilities to be included in law number 61/2015 pertaining regulating the installation of CCTV and security cameras. The new list includes mosques, places of worship, marinas, shooting ranges, oil facilities, oilfields, refineries, fuel reservoirs, oil ports, infrastructure facilities such as power and water desalination plants, gas plants, sewage purification plants, irrigation units, telecom centers, marine, land and air exits, Kuwaiti islands, artificial marine structures, the seafront, custom warehouses, diplomatic areas, radio and TV facilities, KUNA premises, satellite TV and radio stations, educational facilities, free trade zones, public transport buses and ferries, health facilities, ambulances, press and publication houses, industrial areas, public libraries, labor hostels, the scrap market, investment and commercial residential complexes, markets, marine and sports clubs, spas, gyms, recreation centers, museums, theatres and cinemas, Kuwait bourse, mobile ATM trucks, money transport trucks, parking spaces and buildings, charities, NGOs, touristic facilities, parks, conservations, cafes, wedding halls, cemeteries and stores selling military and marine, fishing and hunting equipment.

Corruption charge
Kuwait Ports Authority urged Kuwait Municipality to clear Fintas harbor and filed a report to the Public Anticorruption Authority (Nazaha), accusing the fishermen's diwaniya of collecting money from the boats docked there.

By A Saleh