Sheikh Jaber chairs first session of new cabinet

KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Jaber Al-Sabah chairs the first meeting of the newly-formed cabinet yesterday. — KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Jaber Al-Sabah stressed that the next phase in the history of Kuwait should see real reformation and progressiveness based on serious decisions that will transfer the country to a better place, where citizens are secured for generations to come. His Highness the Prime Minister made this remark yesterday in a speech he delivered at the first meeting of the newly-formed cabinet.

His Highness the Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the trust bestowed upon him by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahamd Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on choosing him to be the head of the Council of the Ministers, promising to exert all efforts to overcome challenges, plan smartly and execute effectively in order to build a better future for this country.

His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak said that having a bright future will only be feasible when a work plan is set in place and is followed dedicatedly by everyone. He pointed out that the first features of this plan, which himself and his ministers will strive to achieve, is to follow the visions and directions of His Highness the Amir and work to materialize these visions into reality. He added that it is importance for everyone to exercise an absolute abiding of the constitution, a respect to the law, a promotion of national unity, combating divisions and eliminating terrorism.

Working together

He also emphasized that the government and the National Assembly should work together to find the right solutions for various pending issues where each authority exercises its full authority without any interference from another one.

His Highness the Premier stressed the importance of protecting public funding and combating corruption thorough the implementation of various "transparent" steps, asking each of his ministers, during this meeting, to take the necessary procedures to deal with any "questionable case" that has been mentioned recently in media outlets, social networks, or even the lately held election campaigns.

He pointed out that any suspicious matter should be referred to the Public Anti-Corruption Authority to take all legal actions against it.  His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak also touched on the economic file for its importance in the upcoming stage. He pointed out that national income should start exploring other resources and steering away from its complete dependency on oil.

Foreign investment should be attracted, national economy should be supported at all levels, and work markets should be improved, he said.  Another mean of boosting the economy can be done through rationalization and privatization of many public services, he said.

He urged all not to "waste" spending under the current conditions of ongoing decline of oil prices; the government must take serious steps to stop this depletion of public funding yet to still provide means of good living for the citizens.

No favoritism

One of the top items of the cabinet's agenda for the next phase is to improve management in all governmental bodies by servicing the public swiftly without any "favoritism", His Highness the Prime Minister said, urging his ministers as heads of their ministries to lead by example and provide a role module to follow.

His Highness the Prime Minister emphasized necessity to take "real actions" to overcome any challenges that hinder the educational process and modernize the curriculum and the teaching methods without jeopardizing the identities of religion and tradition. As for youth, he urged to nurture them and encourage them to participate in all facets for their society for they will have an effective role in building a better future for their country.

Finally, His Highness the Prime minister urged to swiftly submit the cabinet's work plan to the National Assembly to be implemented within an appropriate timeframe. This work plan will prioritize the government's projects in order to ensure a timely completion of these projects. - KUNA