ShareKUWAIT: Well informed sources said that the finance ministry adjusted the 2019-2020 fiscal year budget, adding KD 57.1 million to be mainly used for subsidies and social benefits. The sources explained that KD 6.5 million will be added for fuel subsidies, 30.2 million for Kuwait Municipality, the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition, the Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects and Public Authority of Civil Information, KD 38.6 million for the Ministry of Health, KD 14 million to compensate those affected during the heavy rain last winter, KD 15.1 million for the Ministry of Justice, KD 930,000 for Abdul Rahman Al-Sumait developmental research in Africa and increasing the customs department budget by KD 845,000. The source also explained that the Amiri Diwan budget in the new project will be cut by KD 14.3 million, while estimated revenues will be KD 16.38 billion, an 8.6 percent increase compared to the budget of the fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2019. In other news, Minister of State for Economic Affairs Mariam Al-Aqeel referred the annual follow-up report of the development plan to the parliament, adding that the year 2018-2019 is the fourth in the short-term development plan.
Coeducation ban
Although the new university campus in Shadadiya has been designed according to the coeducation ban law, informed sources said that this law will not be applied in the colleges expected to move into the new campus by the next academic year (2019-2020), and that students will be taught jointly until all colleges move to the new campus. Assistant dean for students affairs at KU's college of business administration Nayef Al-Shemmary announced that his college is preparing to move into the new campus, and that so far, both male and female students will attend classes in the same building.
Work permits
The manpower authority issued an administrative decision amending article 44 of decision number 522/2018 pertaining work permit regulations, adding boats and marine equipment repair shops and roaming and call taxis to the activities for which work permits are issued.
1,861 expats
Recent Ministry of Education statistics showed the total number of employees working in the ministry's offices are 13,498, including 11,637 Kuwaitis and 1,861 expats. Statistics also show that the majority of the workforce - 8,413, including 7,659 citizens - works for the general education sector, followed by 1,135 (including 863 citizens) in the financial affairs sector.
Rental fees
The Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued resolution number 2747/2019 pertaining adjusting rental fees collected for utilizing various spaces within Kuwait International Airport. The decision issued by DGCA Chairman Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah Al-Salem Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah set the fees to be KD 150 a year per square meter inside DGCA buildings, KD 65 a year per square meter for empty land to be built upon, KD 30 a year per square meter for land including shacks, KD 20 a year per square meter for land with shades and KD 5 a year per square meter for empty land.
By A Saleh
