KUWAIT: Well-informed ministerial sources said as part of measures to be taken to shrink the state's organizational structure, resolve deficit problems and reduce expenditure at a number of government bodies, the government is getting closer to announcing privatizing some ministries and government bodies. The sources said the ministerial economic committee has agreed to privatize the ministry of services (formerly communications), especially after establishing the telecommunications authority and having telecom and Internet companies take up many of the ministry's responsibilities.
The sources said the government has also prepared a bill on privatizing the postal sector and is getting ready to offer a tender for public bidding to private sector companies to provide telephone services by the end of the year. Moreover, the sources said various sectors at the ministry of information, including art, production, TV and radio and tourism, would be privatized, leaving only the news sector to be supervised by the ministry.
By A Saleh