KUWAIT: The mobile team of the public health department in coordination with the ministry of foreign affairs tested employees in various departments through nasal-pharyngeal swabs as a precautionary measure by the ministry of health to control the spread of the coronavirus.

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: The Cabinet is expected to approve recommendations by the education minister to cancel the current school year for all grades except grade 12 because of the higher secondary exams. Education Minister Saud Al-Harbi said last month that he would make a final decision on the school year by the middle of July.

Head of the Assembly's human resources development committee MP Khalil Al-Saleh said yesterday that the panel is awaiting a draft law on the population structure promised by Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem before writing its report on the issue. The committee was entrusted by the Assembly to prepare a comprehensive report on proposals to amend the population composition currently tilted in favor of expats, who form 70 percent of the population.

Ghanem told Kuwait Television two weeks ago that he and a number of MPs will submit a comprehensive draft law on expat manpower to achieve a gradual reduction in the number of expats without undermining the market.

MP Riyadh Al-Adasani said yesterday that new economic proposals by Finance Minister Barrak Al-Sheetan directly harm the income of citizens as they call for wide-ranging taxes and charges. The so-called economic document is the main issue on Adasani's grilling of the finance minister that was scheduled to take place on Tuesday but postponed because a number of MPs and workers tested positive for the coronavirus.

Adasani said in statements that the "document" stipulates "touching" the salaries of employees, calls for raising tariffs of electricity and water and other services, besides calling to impose taxes and privatization of some public services. The lawmaker charged that the minister is personally responsible for the document, which undermines ordinary people and their livelihoods.

Adasani grilled the finance minister last month on almost similar issues, but his grilling ended without submitting a no-confidence vote. This time, he says he wants to show that the minister was working against people's interests.

Meanwhile, MP Abdullah Al-Kandari said yesterday that Assembly meetings should not have been postponed because of the coronavirus scare and Assembly authorities should have taken sufficient health precautions. He said based on the constitution, only HH the Amir has the right to delay Assembly sessions for up to one month. MP Ahmad Al-Fadhl meanwhile denied that he and MPs Nayef Al-Merdas and Mohammad Al-Dallal had tested positive for the coronavirus as has been posted on social media.