‘Long and grueling’ maintenance process will begin in April

KUWAIT: Government preparations to launch an overall grid plan with a focus on execution and maintenance of roads was the emphasis of a cabinet meeting that was headed by HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah yesterday. “Holding those responsible for shortcomings accountable and fixing damages as soon as possible are the most important issues to be addressed,” said the premier during the meeting, which included Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh, Justice Minister and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Fahd Al-Afasi, Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Housing Affairs Jenan Bushehri, in addition to high-level state officials.

“What is happening cannot be tolerated or accepted. We have to shoulder our responsibilities towards citizens in this regard, as streets do not belong to us - they are for the public. What has happened is regrettable,” Sheikh Jaber said, stressing that the government is an “honest opponent, but, whoever is unrespectable and inconsiderate of the public’s interests can never be respected or forgiven.”

Sheikh Khaled said the aggregate rain the country recently witnessed was equivalent to a year’s average. “The mistakes made amount to a crime against Kuwait and the Kuwaiti citizen,” he stressed. Describing the maintenance process as “long and grueling”, Sheikh Khaled explained that the major challenge will begin by fixing the roads by closing one lane and leaving the rest open, and using the safety lane, which, according to the deputy premier, will save up to 50 percent of maintenance time.

Meanwhile, Saleh said as a “deterrent” penalty, the state’s Central Agency for Public Tenders asked concerned government bodies, as well as the private sector, to provide it with names of companies with failing projects in order for them to be deprived of future tenders. Afasi explained that there are two sides of applying punitive penalties on those involved in road mismanagement - penal and civil.

Bushehri noted that concrete steps have already been taken against violators of item 4 of article 85 of the Central Agency for Public Tenders’ law. Nevertheless, she added that fixing road damages is the utmost priority, affirming that actual implementation of the plan will start in the first week of April.