MoI: No fines for expired iqamas, visas driving licenses
By B Izzak
KUWAIT: The interiorministry said yesterday that the immigration department will not collect anyfines from residence and visa violators during the government shutdown over thecoronavirus. Assistant undersecretary for Residency Affairs Maj Gen TalalMaarafi said expats in the country whose visit visas – commercial, tourist orfamily – have expired will be allowed to leave the country without paying anyfine when commercial flights resume.
He also said thatexpats on private sector iqamas will not be fined if their residencies expireduring the shutdown, but he said that companies can renew the residencies oftheir staff online. The same applies to residence permits for domestic helpers.
The traffic departmentalso said people who do not renew their expired driving licenses or theirvehicle registration will not be fined during the shutdown. The ministry saidpeople can still renew their driving licenses online during the shutdown butdelivery will be made after March 29. Policemen have been instructed not toissue tickets to such drivers.
The new measures comea day after the council of ministers announced exceptional measures bydeclaring a two-week public holiday and halting commercial flights indefinitelyfrom midnight on Friday. Reports however said some 100 expatriates who arrivedfrom London yesterday were returned on the same flights. Some 255 Kuwaitis alsoarrived onboard six flights from various destinations.
Commerce and Industry Minister Khaled Al-Roudhan said yesterday that the country has sufficient food reserves and there was no need to panic or rush for unnecessary shopping.
The ministry of healthmeanwhile reported eight new coronavirus cases, raising the number to 80, atleast five of them have been cured and released. The ministry said that allhealth and emergency departments will continue to operate normally to cope withdemand.
National AssemblySpeaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem said the Assembly respects the measures taken by thegovernment to protect the country from the coronavirus, and called ongovernment officials to appear more in the media to explain the situation.
Reports cited bankingsources as saying that local banks will exempt debtors from paying instalmentsfor three months. The facility applies to those who have taken consumer loans.
MP Yousef Al-Fadhalahsaid MPs discussed yesterday holding a special session to approve legislationneeded for the current situation.
Air ticket pricesmeanwhile increased several-fold after the government decided to haltcommercial flights. A ticket to London, for example, which cost less than KD150 before the closure, was being sold for around KD 700. Many flights havealso been cancelled.