KUWAIT: Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) circulated a decision to stop all foreign scholarships for the 2016/2017 fiscal year, as part of its measures to reduce spending, following the drop in oil prices. The corporation excluded long-term programs, which is a company commitment, provided they are specialized technical programs related to KPC strategy until 2030. Meanwhile, Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) issued a circular about organizational changes that are effective today. They include the appointment of Badr Nasser Al-Tulaihi as Director of Operations Group (east Kuwait), and Bader Abdullah Mahmoud as Director of Operations Support Group. In west Kuwait directorate, a new support services group for export and marine operations was created and Yousuf Al-Baker was appointed director of it. The health, safety and safety team was transferred from export operations group to export and marine operations support group, and Badr Zaid Al-Azmi remains head of the health, safety and environment team. Ali Sayyed Hashim was appointed director of export operations and reports to Deputy CEO for west Kuwait, while Obaid Qanel Al-Otaibi was appointed head of Rawdatain operations team. Badr Nashi Al-Qahtani becomes head of production operations (Sabriya / Bahra) and Awad Al-Barazi head of production operations (heavy oil).

Bedoons' rights

MP Abdulhameed Dashti found it strange that bedoons (stateless residents) continue to be targeted and deprived of their basic rights. "What we are seeing is very strange, because instead of them having priority in professional, technical and service jobs over expatriates, we were surprised by the education ministry's decision to terminate 23 bedoon teachers," he said. Dashti wondered about the human rights committee's action towards what is going on with the bedoons, which reaches extreme action towards the simplest of civil rights, despite the hard living conditions they are going through.

Judiciary's independence

The parliament's legislative committee will hold a meeting today to discuss the judiciary and public prosecution's independence and create a judiciary contestation council, in the presence of Justice and Awqaf Minister Yaqoub Al-Sane. Sources said the government will attend the meeting, and wants to pass the law with major amendments, and may back from some simple proposals without major changes in its proposal.

They said the government will not oppose the judiciary contestation law, especially since it asked for it earlier, adding that the two proposed laws will be approved before the Assembly's session in March.

Meanwhile, committee chairman Faisal Al-Shaye said his committee will discuss proposed laws on public tenders and views of the Audit Bureau on it.

By A Saleh