Kuwait refuses to write off debts: Iraqi MP

MP Khaled Al-Shatti

KUWAIT: MP Khaled Al-Shatti stressed his persistence on a proposal he made to issue a general amnesty for Abdaly cell members, his former colleague Abdulhameed Dashti and bloggers. He added that the proposal will be discussed by the legislative affairs committee. "My proposal is just like any other made by other colleagues," he underlined, noting that all lawmakers work for the nation's best interests. He also expressed hopes that now since it has finished grilling Minister of State for Assembly Affairs Adel Al-Kharafi, the parliament will get down to accomplishing laws and legislations needed for both the country and citizens, especially after a majority voted against a no-confidence motion. He also urged the government to cooperate with the parliament in passing as many of the necessary laws as possible.

Iraq's debt

Member of the parliamentary integrity committee in the Iraqi parliament Alya Naseef stressed that Kuwait refuses to write off its debts owed by the Iraqi government. She also questioned Saudi debts on the grounds that they are not documented by the UN. Naseef added that most Arab countries had waived their debts as per the Paris Club agreement except Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, urging the Iraqi government to work on writing off these debts.

Mega projects

The Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects' Director Mutlaq Al-Sane expected citizens will be invited to bid for the first Al-Zour Electricity Company in a few weeks. Sane said 50 percent of the company's shares will be offered in an initial public offering. He noted that the authority has three mega projects with capital exceeding $1 billion each, of whose shares investors would own at least 26 percent and citizens 50 percent, while the remaining shares will be owned by the government.

Trade union's board

Kuwait Trade Union Federation (KTUF) announced that the tenure of the executive board of the union of government employees' syndicates had legally expired as per a 'To Whom it May Concern' certificate issued by the Public Authority for Manpower. KTUF also reminded that membership of all board members is annulled by the end of the board's tenure.

Consequently, KTUF deems the board as illegitimate from a legal standpoint and has no right in representing KTUF or any member syndicate and has no right in using the union's headquarters to hold any activities, which is actually happening by the union leader who continues to dominate the building in violation of the law. KTUF also stressed that the union has no right to extend its own tenure, especially since a majority of member syndicates reject it. Further, KTUF strongly stressed that Awadh Shuqiar does not represent the union and has no right to speak in its name.

Engineers society

Kuwait Society of Engineers (KSE) held its ordinary general assembly, which approved the 2017 financial and administrative reports in the presence of 120 members, MSAL representatives and auditors, said KSE Chairman Faisal Dowayyeh.

By A Saleh and Meshaal Al-Enezi