Coast Guard-contracted Boats Collecting Rust On Land

Because of conditions in the region where security risks are escalating, the Coast Guard is unable to use its contracted boats for years. Their status as 'anchored on land' is due to a lack of action and neglect by government officials who fail to examine them technically and examine their operational efficiency in accordance with contractual terms and conditions.

Reports of three unsuccessful attempts to infiltrate into the country's territorial waters in one week revealed serious defects, as well as a report by the National Audit Office revealing suspicious financial waste estimated at 11 million dinars in the works of a construction contract, supply, delivery and guarantee of interceptor boats according to the contract, notes a local Arabic newspaper.

Sources said the Kuwaiti Coast Guard officials avoided testing the boats or inspecting them, and neglected to check the specifications certificate. They also neglected to specify whether 29 marine pieces would be used for rescue or interception, as if the boats were not meant to protect Kuwaiti territorial waters.

Observations and deficiencies in the Coast Guard system have been identified by the audit bureau, including "grave violations in the supply of boats and equipment for maritime security," which refers to complaints and defects encountered in construction, supply, delivery, and guarantee of interceptor boats according to contract terms, to which they responded. Prior to forming the committee, the Ministry of the Interior conducted an investigation of these shortcomings and observations.

In an era when regional and international events are escalating and security risks are on the rise, the coast guard system in the country faces neglect, leniency, poor equipment, and a lack of capacity building in a way that puts it in a strong position to meet challenges.

Earlier this year, the Audit Bureau sounded the alarm about severe violations of the coast guard system in its latest oversight report, but more details have emerged that show a gross neglect of myriad insurance and protection mechanisms.

According to the Audit Bureau report for 2020-2021, Kuwait had three infiltration attempts through Kuwaiti territorial waters within one week, which raises questions about the possibility of financial waste estimated at about 11 million dinars in the execution of a construction contract and the supply, delivery, and warranty of Interceptor boats as per the contract.

Despite the repeated infiltrations into Kuwait, recently conducted in an unprecedented manner, there are still dangerous security gaps in the Kuwaiti waters that can be addressed urgently to prepare Kuwait for the danger that is no longer far off, Although the deal for the cruisers was without a certificate of specifications and their receipt was suspicious despite regional and international turmoil, the deal was approved and the insurance marine pieces were supplied without securing the safety of the cruisers and protecting public money from being wasted.

In the wake of the repeated entry of infiltrators, including the last of these operations two days ago, in which drug smugglers managed to infiltrate the Al-Khairan area but didn't manage to get arrested, questions are raised about who benefits from the suspicious boats deal, and for how long will such neglect continue; and who allowed the boats to sit idle since 2017 despite paying 11 million dinars and not benefitting from them.

Ten loopholes are apparent - the boats were not tested for completion according to the specifications paper; the contract was violated despite the fact that leniency was indicated; the boats were on land for years despite being defective; the supervisory body did not test the boats according to the agreement; and the boats have not been tested to determine if they are intercepting or rescue boats. There have been problems on every boat, and no solutions have been provided; smugglers and suspicious elements are infiltrating again, and a pause is needed; we need to tighten procedures to secure our territorial waters; modern technology is perceived as weak and the document cycle is still being used, indicating a defect.

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