KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality halted a decision that Minister of Commerce and Industry Khaled Al-Roudhan planned to issue last week about regulating home business licenses. The municipality said that the decision would violate the regulations of Kuwait's structural plan in terms of banning commercial businesses within residential areas.

The municipality added that it has been working on removing commercial stores already existing there, such as tailor shops, barbershops, laundries, grocery stores, etc out of residential areas. Notably, Roudhan had stated that a decision would be issued on regulating 18 types of to-be licensed home businesses to encourage more citizens to start their own businesses.

Mental diseases

Health Minister Dr Jamal Al-Harbi said an average of 1,500-2,000 new cases are annually diagnosed with mental diseases at Kuwait Psychological Health Center. Harbi added that criminal investigation authorities referred 67 suspects to examine their mental health last year and 39 of them were found fully sane and responsible for their actions. Responding to a parliamentary inquiry about psychiatric patients holding special cards explaining their cases, Harbi stressed that patients were usually given regular cards with their data, file number and OPD appointments. "Such cards do not entitle holders to special treatment," he underlined.

By A Saleh