KUWAIT: Abdullah Al-Motoutah, Acting Manpower Authority Director, said that the authority had recently issued special permits for labor department inspectors to enter oil companies' sites to inspect the number of nationals working in companies that have subcontracts with KOC subsidiaries. Al-Motoutah explained that those inspectors used to be denied access to the oil facilities, especially the ones operated by foreign companies and that following the recent strike carried out by national laborers working in those companies, a special committee had been formed to make sure they fully observed related laws pertaining safety, security and accommodation.

Director of the Public Authority for Special Needs Affairs (PASNA), Dr Tareq Al-Shatti expressed amazement at calls made by authority employees to organize further sit ins warning that this would delay finishing transactions of people with special needs. Speaking on a press conference held at the sidelines of a sit in PASNA's employees syndicate organized yesterday morning, Al-Shatti stressed that the authority does its best to meet its employees' demands and that CSC had been already notified with the demands.

Al-Ajmi deportation case rejected

The appeal court yesterday rejected hearing a case filed to deport media figure, Saad Al-Ajmi on grounds that the case topic was not within its liabilities. Notably, Al-Ajmi's Kuwaiti wife had filed a case arguing that deporting her husband after withdrawing his citizenship would be illegal.

Al Watan case hearing set

A court yesterday set a hearing to be held October 26 to pass its verdict in a case filed by Interior Ministry Assistant Undersecretary for Public Security Major General Abdul Fattah Al-Ali against Al-Watan newspaper's editor-in-chief Sheikh Khalifa Al-Ali Al-Sabah. Al-Ali accused Sheikh Khalifa of insulting him while Al-Ali was in the middle of his duty, forcing the closure of Al-Watan newspaper headquarters upon an Information Ministry decision.

Insurance fees decree

Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr. Yousif Al-Ali issued a ministerial decree pertaining to the plan to amend fees the ministry collected for proceedings concerning insurance companies and agents stipulated in law number 24/1961. According to the amendment, the fees collected for issuing various insurance-related licenses would vary from KD 1 to KD 500.

Teacher bonuses

The Education Ministry yesterday approved bonuses for 157 expatriate teachers and school administrative staff members. The bonuses are labeled as 'excellent performance' rewards for the school year 2014-2015. In this regard, MoE Assistant Undersecretary for Administrative Affairs Fahad Al-Ghaiss explained that the list includes 120 teachers and 37 supervisors working in adult evening schools according to limited wage contracts. Al-Ghaiss also contacted CSC accordingly.

Shipping fees to increase

Chairman of Kuwait's Union for Foodstuff Manufacturers and Merchants, Abdullah Al-Bu'aijan said that shipping companies had recently informed various companies that the handling fees collected per imported container would increase. "This will surely increase the cost of import companies and consequently on the cost paid by consumers," he warned urging the Minister of Commerce and Industry to immediately stop the increases as they were 'absolutely unjustified at the time being', as he said. Al-Bu'aijan also urged the ports authority to do importers some justice and refund the huge sums it had collected from them.

By A Saleh