By A Saleh

KUWAIT: Kuwait Livestock Company (Mawashi) CEO Osama Boodai said the company has not been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) and has been delivering its products to customers ordering through calls or the company's mobile app. "Our delivery vehicles are subjected to daily sterilization and constant routine inspections," Boodai said.

Boodai denied reducing the amounts shipped from livestock origin countries and stressed that the company reserves will cover demand as planned, as more sheep shipments will continually be shipped to cover local market demand.

Responding to a question if the company follows any special precautionary measures with arriving shipments, Boodai said: "Our routine measures have always been in practice even before the coronavirus crisis, as we sterilize the vessels with special antibacterial substances before loading the cattle in order to protect it during its up to 14-day journey to Kuwait."

He added that on arrival, all crewmembers are examined by the preventive medicine department and all the sheep are examined by the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources.

Postal sector tour
Ministry of Services undersecretary Kholoud Al-Shehab and her technical office manager Abeer Al-Shereedah yesterday inspected the ministry's postal sector departments to make sure all COVID 19-related precautionary measures are put into practice. The tour also included the airport post office. Shehab also reviewed February's work statistics which showed that Kuwait Airways had delivered a total of 2,131 mailbags to the office and NAS delivered 4,491 mailbags, while total outgoing mail included 2,267 mailbags. Shehab also announced holding weekly contests to award the best three mail centers.

Speaking during the tour, the ministry's assistant undersecretary for postal sector affairs Mansour Al-Bader said a meeting will be held with the municipality to agree on a mechanism to dispose empty mailbags according to Environment Public Authority regulations. Mail traffic manager Siddiqa Khajah hailed the ministry's efforts in developing the postal sector and ensuring safety in view of the current health circumstances.

Khajah added that the sector's development plan includes merging post offices, especially those with low mail traffic such as Dasman and inner post offices. Sorting and parcel exchange manager Faisal Al-Qabandi said that in a bid to facilitate and accelerate the sorting process, incoming mail will not be sorted on reception from airlines. This will be done at another site with more staff members outside the airport.

More freedoms
Chairman of the parliament's educational affairs committee Oudah Al-Ruwaei said that the committee met Information Minister Mohammad Al-Jabri and discussed amending the audiovisual and publication laws. "Both sides agreed on the amendments," Ruwaei stressed, expecting the final draft to be finalized by the end of the week before submitting it to parliament for voting. Ruwaei added that the amendments included freedom of expression and the procedures followed in certain cases. "The amendments will achieve more freedoms and facilities concerning media institutions and newspaper licenses," he said.