A number of safety inspectors at the Public Authority for Manpower plan to organize a sit-in outside the office of Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hind Al-Sabeeh on Tuesday, well-informed sources said. The sit in comes as a reaction to a decision made by the authority's human resources manager, who refused to exempt the inspectors from having to use the fingerprint scan admission registering system. The inspectors say that the nature of their jobs require them to work outside of their offices most of the time, and that the current system forces them to return back to their offices to register their exit on the fingerprint scanner every day.

Obstacles

The Ministry of Public Works (MPW) is currently coordinating with Kuwait Municipality, the Public Authority of Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resource (PAAAFR), the Ministry of Interior (MOI), the Minsitry of Health (MOH) and other state departments to remove various obstacles delaying the Abdali highway development project. These obstacles include telecom towers, a number of farms in Abdali, the vet hospital, Abdali clinic, border fences and Abdali agricultural co-op society. Separately, MPW's road sector recently finished reviewing the biddings made to execute the Wafra road and Al-Bada' roundabout projects, which had recently been withdrawn from a company that failed to meet the project's schedule and deadlines. Notably, Al-Wafra project's new cost will be KD 86 million, which is two million more than the previous contract, while the Bada' roundabout project will cost KD 18 million, which is four millions more than the previous contract.

Smart city

The Korean lands and Housing Establishment announced executing the South Saad Al-Abdullah City project; the first smart city project, through partnership between the Korean public and private sectors led by Hyundai and BOSCO. The project's execution is expected to commence in 2019 where between 25,000 40,000 housing units (400 square meters) will be executed by a consortium of 11 companies.

Energy

The Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) allocated KD 76,748,000 to purchase energy form Al-Zour Northern power plant, said informed sources, noting that this year's allocation is KD 50 million more than the amount allocated for the same purpose last year.

By A Saleh