KUWAIT: The Egyptian central department for mobilization and statistics rejected an announcement by Kuwaiti State Minister for Economic Affairs Mariam Al-Aqeel about the inaccuracy of the Egyptian department's numbers. It affirmed the credibility of its figures of work permits issued - 230,803 - which reflects the number of permits issued to Egyptians working in Kuwait during 2018 officially and documented by concerned authorities, which cannot be doubted.
The departmentsaid the numbers include two types of work permits - those issued for the firsttime and those renewed of people working in Kuwait. It said the number ofpermits issued for the first time is 98,794, while those renewed number132,009, which means 8,000 Egyptians entered Kuwait during each month of 2018.
Kuwait's CentralStatistical Bureau had issued a statement earlier stating that 62,191 workpermits were issued for Egyptians in 2018, and that 23,883 permits werecancelled, with a net total of 38,308 permits for work in the private sector.It said the total number of Egyptian workers appointed in the government sectorlast year was 577, most of whom are in medical, educational and legal professions.
Bedoons' issue
In other news,information has leaked from the team preparing a solution for the issue ofbedoons, as a new law is being prepared by parties from the National Assembly,interior ministry and the central agency for illegal residents. Sources saidthe law, which will be submitted to the Assembly during the upcoming term, wasto be ready by the end of this month to be discussed in September, but it wasnot completed due to differences of opinion, adding that it may be discussed inNovember.
The sources saiddifferences are over how to deal with bedoons included in the 1965 census, ashardliners in the team believe those without suspicion of having anothernationality and without security restrictions will be naturalized. The numberof those falling in this category is about 5,000 and if their children areadded, the number will be between 10,000-12,000 only.
"On theother hand, others argue that the agency's record is not fully accurate andsupported by documents," the source said, adding that this team calls fornaturalizing all those with 1965 census provided they do not have anothernationality and have nothing to do with a relative who has another nationality.
Disabled people'sexemption
Thecommunications ministry has formed a team to activate the disabled rights law,starting by exemption of public service fees. The team is looking into revivingitems of law 8/2010 with regards to the rights of the disabled and itsamendments, most notably item 37, which says the disabled will be exempted fromgovernment fees for public services.
Social events'ads
Awqaf and IslamicAffairs Minister and State Minister for Municipal Affairs Fahd Al-Shula issuedan administrative circular to all heads of sectors and department managers atmunicipal branches to follow and supervise cooperatives' compliance with therules related to advertisements of social events, with regards to general andparticular decisions mentioned in item 17a of ministerial decision 172/2006regarding having one advertisement board at the entrance and another at theexit of the supermarket parking, and one board only in the parking of eachbranch.
The ad should belimited to social events, should be made of six frames on either side on acylindrical pole of a minimum 2.5 m in height, and should be fixed. Noinvestment or commercial ads should be affixed on it. There should not bestickers of any kind on the boards and anything that will obstruct the view ofroad signs.
By A Saleh