Event comes under patronage of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense

KUWAIT: Zain, the leading digital service provider in Kuwait, announced its platinum sponsorship of the 2nd Consulting Services for Development Plan Forum (ENCON2) entitled "Role of the Private Sector in Execution and Automated Integration among Related Agencies to Boost Productivity and Combat Corruption". The event, to be held at Sheraton Kuwait Hotel from 30 April - 2 May, comes under the patronage of First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

Zain's support to this forum comes as part of the company being a main contributing partner in elevating the efficiency of the execution of the Kuwait National Development Plan (New Kuwait) that stems from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's conceptualized vision of a new Kuwait by 2035. The company is keen on reflecting its key role as a leading national company in the Kuwaiti private sector, which is considered a strategic partner in the country's developmental goals and one of its main pillars.

ENCON2 will feature the presence of many entities from both the public and private sectors, which will add a great value to the forum's program on multiple levels. NoufEXPO organizes the event in collaboration with the Federation of Kuwaiti Engineering Offices and Consultant Houses, with a participation from the Supreme Council for Planning and Development, Central Agency for Public Tenders, Central Agency for Information Technology, and Kuwait Municipality, the Apparatus for Developing Silk City (Al-Sabbiya) and Boubyan Island, Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA), Kuwait Fire Service Directorate, Ministry of Electricity and Water, Environment Public Authority, Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Health, Kuwait University, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC).

The forum will also feature the presence of several supervisory bodies, including the State Audit Bureau of Kuwait, Department for Legal Advice and Legislation, Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha), the Financial Supervisory Commission, and the Government Performance Follow-Up Agency.

Zain affirmed its commitment in being present at the various projects and activities that contribute to pushing the national economy wheel and achieving the various developmental objectives of the country, further reflecting its role as a leading national private sector company that engages with planning initiatives that achieve Kuwait's prosperity on all levels.

The 2nd Consulting Services for Development Plan Forum (ENCON2) mainly aims at boosting the efficiency by which the phases of Kuwait's 2035 Development Plan are executed. It also aims at ensuring that projects are executed accurately according to specifications and within their budgets. Shortening the documentary cycle and significantly limiting variation orders to boost transparency and combat corruption are also among the main topics of the event. In addition, the forum will focus on increasing the level of cooperation and coordination among all agencies mandated with the delivery of consulting services.

As a first step, ENCON2 will discuss the requirements for developing a healthy administrative and technological environment among the executive and supervisory government agencies to automate the issuance of approvals and permissions related to consulting services. The target is the development of a web portal to be the unified gateway for issuing all approvals and permissions related to deliver consulting services for government and private sector projects in general, and especially for projects of the Development Plan.

ENCON2 will also discuss the best approach to implement Kuwait's government vision of empowering the private consulting sector to assume the roles of approvals and permissions issuance and execution of projects of the Development Plan, and the best approach to empower the government agencies to carry out an accompanying effective supervisory role only. This conforms to Kuwait's strategy of mandating the private sector with a more significant economic role.