KUWAIT: The health ministry and the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority yesterday told the National Assembly’s health panel that there were no confirmed health risks from using 5G Internet at extremely high speed. The committee was asked by the Assembly to study any possible health hazards from 5G Internet, which some telecom companies have started offering. But a number of MPs have complained that the price of the new service is too high and called on the government to force providers to bring it down.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly’s financial and economic affairs committee yesterday rejected the draft state budget for the 2019/2020 fiscal year which already started on April 1, committee member MP Riyadh Al-Adasani said. Adasani said the committee rejected the budget by a majority vote, adding he voted against the budget because of squandering of public funds and the wrong implementation of the budget, as spending violations have continued.

The lawmaker said they rejected the draft budget because there was no improvement in dealing with public issues like employment, projects and services. The committee also rejected the final account for the previous fiscal year. The budget is scheduled to be debated on July 1, just a day before the Assembly is set to close its current term and go on summer recess for around four months. The Assembly has the right to override the financial committee’s rejection of the state budget.

National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem said the assembly will meet for four days next week - from Monday to Thursday - to complete urgent laws and debate budgets, casting doubt whether the government will be able to attend a special session on Sunday requested by MPs. The lawmakers demanded to hold a special discussion on Sunday to study ways to resolve unemployment among Kuwaitis. Ghanem said that the government always wants prior coordination before holding any special session.

By B Izzak