KUWAIT: The Civil Service Commission (CSC) approved a request by the justice ministry to 'Kuwaitize' 581 administrative jobs at the ministry, including typists. But the justice ministry stressed that despite its keenness on replacing as many expats as it can with citizens, it will not cancel its current contract with a private company providing employees in administrative positions until substitutes are appointed. Meanwhile, well-informed sources expected a reshuffling of technical sector department managers at the Ministry of Electricity and Water soon, noting that the process will coincide with filling a number of leading positions after 35 citizens were recently referred to retirement.
Unlicensed parking shades
The Capital municipality inspection teams launched a campaign against unlicensed car parking shades built on government property at co-ops, ministries and state departments. Head of the team Zaid Al-Enezi said 16 warning notices were issued to co-ops in the capital and expressed hopes that these bodies will apply to the municipality to license those shades. Enezi added that conditions to build such shades include these being in parking areas outside ministries and government bodies, a single shade should be a maximum 3 m wide, 6 m long and 2 m in height, be in harmony with adjacent ones, have an approved design and be made of a light material approved by the municipality without closing the sides.
KD 1,300 per pilgrim
Head of the Kuwaiti hajj convoys union Ahmad Al-Duwaihi said the supreme hajj committee approved a proposal by the union to serve 2,000 Kuwaiti pilgrims equally distributed to 10 convoys at a fixed price of KD 1,300 per pilgrim. Duwaihi added that the decision was made in response to the call made by Minister of Awaqaf Fahd Al-Shola to provide low-priced hajj services.
15 new gas stations
Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) plans to build 15 new gas stations to serve new residential cities to the north and south, Deputy CEO for Fuel Supplies Ghanem Al-Otaibi said. Otaibi added that KNPC is cooperating with the Pan Arab Consulting Engineering (PACE) office to get the required governmental approvals after finalizing 90 percent of the stations' designs, adding that final approval is expected by the beginning of the first quarter of the fiscal year 2019-2020. Meanwhile, KNPC decided extending the deadline to receive bids for the Al-Debdeba solar power project to March 3 instead of the current deadline of Jan 29, 2019. The project is a major strategic initiative towards achieving His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's vision of providing 15 percent of Kuwait's needs of electricity from renewable resources by 2030. Notably, 28 companies have been so far qualified to bid for the project.
By A Saleh