KUWAIT: The Finance Ministry has refused to increase financial allowances of Kuwaitis being treated abroad, even as the health ministry is warning that those who deserve it are in danger of being deprived of any money within days if extra funds are not approved.

The problem, according to official sources, began when the finance ministry asked the health ministry to stop payments to health offices abroad because the total previous payments reached more than KD 120 million, which is the amount mentioned in the budget for this item. They said the health ministry used to send the allowances to the health offices so they could make the weekly payments to patients as well as pay hospital bills.

The sources said Health Minister Dr Ali Al-Obaidi met with his undersecretaries to prepare a memo to be sent to the finance ministry, which sounds the danger of not increasing the allowances, as patients will be deprived of all funds next week, adding available funds are only enough for the current week.

Jahra’s ministries complex

The Central Tenders Committee (CTC) put an end to the parliamentary argument over the ministries complex building in Jahra, and put forth a tender for it with new adjustments. CTC asked tenderers that the company that bids must have carried out a similar project with a cost of not less than $200 million between the period of 2011 to 2016 inside or outside Kuwait, along with a sealed letter from the customer stating whether the project was completed according to the time schedule or not, along with the rest of conditions and the qualification documents.

The project costs over KD 300 million, covering an area of 300,000 sq m and has four basements, each having the capacity of 10,000 cars for employees, in addition to a ground floor and eight upper floors that will be used by 19 government bodies.

By A Saleh