KUWAIT: MP Adel Al-Damkhi urged Minister of Awqaf and Islamic affairs Fahd Al-Sholah to pay the delayed salaries of 1,500 laborers. "I fully believe that Ramadan will not come to an end until you order the payment so as not to share part of the blame with their unfair company," he said, noting that these laborers have every right to feel the joy of Eid like others.

Oil sector engineers
Official statements by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and its subsidiaries showed that 1,224 Kuwaiti engineers have been appointed since Jan 2016 compared to only 362 expats, mainly Indians, in the same period. The majority of those engineers were appointed in Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) and Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC). According to statistics in KPC's manpower monthly reports, the majority of the engineers specialize in petroleum, electric, electronic, environmental, civil, industrial, communication and marine engineering.

Special mechanism
The Public Authority for Manpower set a special mechanism to inspect the appointment of citizens in the private sector, said informed sources. Meanwhile, the manpower authority's information systems center manager Rabab Al-Ossaimi said the authority had completed the experimental operation of the e-connection with the engineers' society which started in February to accredit engineering professions. Ossaimi added transactions will not be accepted unless registered with both bodies through the e-connection system and stressed that degree accreditation will be only required once without the need to go through the whole process annually.

SME projects
In collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs' cooperation development department, the National Fund for SME Development instructed various co-op societies to pay financial dues to owners of SME projects within 30 days after a sale, said informed sources, noting that the process used to take 3-6 months. The sources added that entrepreneurs and owners of projects funded by the fund should file complaints with Ministry of Social Affairs in case the concerned co-ops do not cooperate in this regard. The sources noted the co-ops will receive warning notices. Notably, cooperative societies are the most powerful retail outlets in Kuwait with 75 main co-ops, dozens of branches and over 5,600 stores with various activities.

Amiri Airport
The Central Agency for Public Tenders (CAPT) announced that by the beginning of July, it will offer a tender to operate and maintain the Amiri Airport buildings for bidding amongst five qualified bidders. The Amiri Diwan also gave disqualified companies the right to file complaints with CAPT within 30 days effective on offering the tender for bidding.

Bonus payment
Official sources at the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) said the 2018-2019 excellent performance bonuses have already been deposited to the bank accounts of 1,600 of its employees. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Service has finished preparing lists of its employees who deserve the excellence performance bonuses and submitted them to minister Khaled Al-Roudhan for approval.

By A Saleh