Panel Notes Shortcomings In Revenue Transfer To Treasury

The parliamentary Education, Culture and Guidance Affairs Committee on Wednesday approved bills regarding the allowance of Kuwaitis studying at Kuwait University and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), as well as those on local scholarship.

Committee Chairman MP Hamad Al-Matar disclosed that they approved the proposal to increase the allowance from KD200 to KD300 per month; as well as the suggestion to add male Kuwaiti students married to non-Kuwaitis, Bedouns and children of Kuwaiti women married to non- Kuwaitis to the beneficiaries of the allowance.

He explained that Bedouns were added to the beneficiaries, taking into consideration their small number and the need to support them as their success in pursuing higher studies implies they are excellent and dedicated students. In another development, the Budgets and Final Accounts Committee on Wednesday tackled two issues – profits retained by several public institutions and amendment of the accounting mechanism of Kuwait National Petroleum Corporation (KNPC).

Chairman of the committee MP Badr Al-Mullah expressed disappointment over the absence of the concerned ministers and HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid in the meeting. He wondered why the government keeps on taking disruptive decisions, pointing out HH the Prime Minister had earlier affirmed the executive authority’s commitment to attend the meetings of parliamentary committees.

However, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) announced later that HH the Prime Minister will not attend the meeting; citing Article 91 of the Constitution. This Article states: “Before taking up his functions at the Assembly or at its committees a member of the National Assembly shall, at a public meeting of the Assembly, take the following oath: I swear by God Almighty to be loyal to the Amir, to respect the Constitution and the laws of the State, to defend the people’s liberties, their interests and their properties, and to perform my duties faithfully and sincerely.”

Al-Mullah said HH the Prime Minister did not mention declining invitations to the meetings of parliamentary committees in a letter he sent to Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim. On the contrary, the letter confirmed commitment to follow the directive of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for the executive and legislative authorities to cooperate.

The letter authorized ministers to take decisions regarding attendance in the meetings of parliamentary committees, the lawmaker added. He went on to reveal that Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Economic and Investment Affairs Khalifa Hamada as well as Minister of Oil and Higher Education Abdullatif Al-Fares did not attend the meeting, while affirming the attendance of the representatives of KNPC and Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA).

He said the committee discovered that only 21 percent of the total retained revenues of various public entities were transferred to the public treasury. Only the Public Authority for Industry (PAI) handed over 100 percent revenues, while Kuwait Ports Authority (KPA) transferred 48 percent, 61 percent for the Public Authority for Telecommunications and 19 percent for KNPC.

Earlier, KNPC transferred KD1.8 billion of its retained revenues as per the agreed schedule and it is supposed to transfer KD1.3 billion more; but it seems this will be rescheduled as the current fiscal year will end soon. The retained revenues of KNPC are for fiscals 2013/2014, 2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020, he narrated. He added KNPC submitted a recommendation to reschedule the transfer of revenues, but KIA rejected it and then the authority presented an alternative which the KNPC rejected.

He disclosed KNPC suggested transferring part of its revenues to the public treasury until the expenditures are settled; after which 75 percent of the gains will be transferred to the public treasury while 25 percent will be in the custody of KNPC. He asserted this is unacceptable, so he sent a clear message to Minister of Oil and Higher Education Dr Abdullatif Al- Fares outrightly rejecting the idea of authorizing the minister or the Supreme Petroleum Council to specify the percentage of revenues which will be transferred to the public treasury and the percentage which will be retained by KNPC.

He also confirmed rejection of the request of KNPC to stop transferring revenues to the public treasury in case its loans reach 30 percent. Meanwhile, MPs Hesham Al-Saleh and Farz Al-Daihani submitted a bill to amend Civil Service Law No. 235/2005 with MPs Hamad Rouhaldeen, Hamad Saif Al-Harshani and Ahmed Al-Hamad signing the bill as an expression of support.

The bill allows public sector employees to use their leave days balance for six years starting from 2021 and then add the unused leave days to their leave days for the next five years. It stipulates that employees can use maximum 90 days of their leave balance per year and if this is not possible due to the workload, they are entitled to get the cash equivalent of the unused leave days.

Every employee should be informed about his leave days balance in January each year. MP Badr Al-Humaidi proposed the urbanization of Bubyan Island for investment purposes. He said Kuwait Municipality should hand over the island to the Ministry of Finance within one year after the enforcement of the bill.

The ministry will put related construction projects for bidding with the participation of local and international companies registered at the Capital Markets Authority. The island will be divided into three parts – the northern part will be transformed into a natural reserve; another part for residential purpose consisting of plots measuring 1,200 square meters; and the other part for public facilities, entertainment projects and natural therapy centers. The ministry and a higher committee at Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects will put these projects for bidding and these will be implemented through the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) system.

 

SOURCE  ARABTIMES

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