Mp Submit Plan To Privatize Cooperative Socities

MP Saleh Ashour has submitted queries to Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Al-Sabeeh on her ministry’s purported plans to privatize cooperative societies and to fill vacancies in the Technical Office. According to Ashour, he has obtained information that the ministry intends to privatize cooperative societies for investment. He wants to know if this is true and if yes, he requested for details of the investment. He asked about the legal basis for taking this decision and if the law allows investing the whole central market without the approval of the general assembly.

On the vacancies in the Technical Office, the lawmaker pointed out the office has a large number of employees but several positions remain vacant in the ministry such as that of the department head, observer and director. He inquired about the number of male and female employees in the office, specialization and job title of each employee, and reasons for not making use of those already working in the office and then apply certain conditions to fill vacant posts in the ministry.

In another development, MP Mansour Al-Zufairi has voiced objection to the proposed increase in gasoline prices due to its impact on the social structure and livelihood of citizens. He called for clear financial and economic reform plans rather than presenting temporary solutions to face the consequences of the oil price decline. He explained that even though the government will earn half billion Kuwaiti dinars by increasing fuel prices, it will lead to higher prices of all supplies and inflation rate.

If this happens, the government will not be able to control the prices. Increasing gasoline prices has serious repercussions as it directly affects the low and middle income earners, he added. He underscored the need to study the societal impact of such a decision, particularly on the citizens’ standard of living. He said the government should present this study to the Parliament for discussion and approval, indicating he will submit a proposal in this regard in the next legislative round. He also reiterated his promise to serve as the voice of the citizens, stressing the need to stop any price hike which affects the citizen’s income. In conclusion, Al-Zufairi emphasized the need to implement previous recommendations approved by the Parliament in a special session on the diversification of income sources and find alternatives to oil.

Furthermore, MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan has criticized the Ministry of Information for allegedly violating Kuwait’s foreign policy. “It seems the ministry violated the policy intentionally or unintentionally. While His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was warmly welcoming the Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister, Kuwait TV hosted a strategist who attacked Iran in a program originally planned to cover the visit,” he pointed out. He hopes the State television station will not commit the same mistake because it is unacceptable that a government agency violates the ministry’s policies unless the government wants to send negative messages concerning the two countries. He asserted, “the official media outfit of the government must be consistent in implementing its internal and external policies, and it should not succumb to the whims of certain individuals or groups.”