GCC Ready to Face Closing of Hormuz Strait: Rasheedi Hajraf Details State Budget’S Final Accounts in Webcast
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
THULQADA 20, 1439 AH THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2018 Max 46º 28 Pages Min 33º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17598 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net GCC ready to face closing of Hormuz Strait: Rasheedi Hajraf details state budget’s final accounts in webcast KUWAIT: Minister of Oil and Minister of Electricity Separately, Finance Minister Nayef Al-Hajraf and Water Bakheet Al-Rasheedi said yesterday GCC revealed the state budget’s final statement of accounts Kuwait remembers its martyrs states have prepared emergency plans in case the Strait for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018 in a live web of Hormuz was closed. Iran, in its row with the United conference involving local and global business commu- States over sanctions, has threatened to block the Strait nities. The initiative reflects the Kuwaiti financial appa- of Hormuz, a major strategic shipping route for oil from ratus’ determination to share monetary information in a the region and the main route for Iranian crude exports. clear and transparent manner, as well as its desire to About 18.5 million bpd of oil or more than 30 percent engage the business community, the finance ministry of seaborne traded crude was transported in 2016 said in a statement. through the Strait of Hormuz, making the waterway at The ministry said the webcast brought together the southern end of the Gulf the most important oil more than 70 financial institutions from around the transit channel in the world, according to US EIA fig- world, all of whom listened intently as Hajraf explained ures. The strait, which is about 54 km wide at its nar- the intricacies of the state budget’s final accounts. The rowest point, separates the Arabian Peninsula from Iran. participants were also allowed to field questions rang- In a press statement during his tour of southern Al-Zour ing from the last fiscal year’s performance to existing power station, Rasheedi also expressed optimism on economic policies in Kuwait, the statement added. resuming oil production in the neutral zone with Saudi The ministry had previously revealed that the fiscal Arabia. As for importing natural gas from Iraq, Rasheedi deficit dropped by 18.1 percent by the end of the last expected the two sides to reach an agreement on the issue fiscal year, while non-oil revenues surged by 21.7 per- before end of 2018. Meanwhile, he said that Kuwait was cent. Meanwhile, oil revenues stood at KD 14.3 billion never asked to increase production to offset any shortage (around $47 billion), up 22.2 percent from last year, of Iranian oil supply due to US-imposed sanctions on the while total revenues increased by 22.1 percent from last KUWAIT: A billboard with the names of martyrs who were killed during the 1990-91 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait is country. Kuwait’s main concern is the stability of markets, year to reach KD 16 billion ($52.7 billion). The fiscal seen in Kuwait City yesterday. — (See Page 2) the minister said, adding that the country is able to provide year in Kuwait starts on April 1 of each year and ends the needed amount of crude oil for these markets. on March 31 of the following year. — KUNA News in brief Women defiant as WhatsApp to US sanctions Turkey ministers Danish ban on start charging WASHINGTON: The US Treasury Department yes- terday hit Turkey’s justice and interior ministers with sanctions over the case of an American pastor being niqab takes effect business users tried on terror charges. “We believe he’s a victim of COPENHAGEN: Hundreds of Danes rallied in SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook Inc’s WhatsApp mes- unfair and unjust attention by the government of Copenhagen yesterday in protest at a new ban on the senger service will start charging businesses for send- Turkey,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders wearing of face veils in public, accusing the government ing marketing and customer service messages, it said told journalists, referring to Andrew Brunson, an of infringing on women’s right to dress as they choose. yesterday, as the social network company’s flagship American pastor at the center of a bitter diplomatic Denmark’s parliament enacted the ban in May, joining brand faces slowing usage and revenue growth. The spat between NATO allies. President Recep Tayyip France and some other European Union countries to COPENHAGEN: Women wearing niqabs take part in a messages will be charged at a fixed rate for confirmed Erdogan earlier yesterday had vowed Turkey would uphold what some politicians say are secular and demo- demonstration yesterday, the first day of the implementa- delivery, ranging from 0.5 cents to 9 cents per message not give into threats from the US, accusing Washington cratic values. The protesters, many wearing the niqab veil tion of the Danish face veil ban. — AFP depending on the country, WhatsApp said. Facebook of showing an “evangelist, Zionist mentality”. — AFP or the all-enveloping, body-length burqa, began a march has been looking at ways to monetize its WhatsApp from the Danish capital’s central district of Norrebro to Under the law, police will be able to instruct women service in the face of rising costs as it spends heavily to Bellahoj police station on the outskirts of the city. to remove their veils or order them to leave public areas. improve privacy safeguards and tackles concerns about UAE offers ‘visa amnesty’ Demonstrators, often with children in tow, included Justice Minister Soren Pape Poulsen said officers would social media addiction. non-niqab-wearing Muslim women and non-Muslim fine them and tell them to go home. Fines will range WhatsApp, which has around 1.5 billion users, said DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates, a major hub for Danes with faces covered. No incidents were reported. from 1,000 Danish crowns ($160) for a first offence to starting yesterday, businesses can use its WhatsApp migrant laborers, yesterday began an amnesty for “We need to send a signal to the government that we 10,000 crowns for a fourth. A 30-year-old Muslim Business API to send notifications such as shipping workers who entered the country without a visa or will not bow to discrimination and a law that specifical- woman interviewed in daily Berlingske, identified only as confirmations, appointment reminders and event tickets. overstayed their work permit. The government said ly targets a religious minority,” Sabina, 21, a niqab- Sarah, said she had “lost faith in the system”. Born and WhatsApp acknowledged that it is charging a premium those who entered the UAE illegally or overstayed garbed student, told Reuters, asking that her full name raised in Denmark by parents who emigrated from compared to SMS rates. Wireless carriers typically their visas and who come forward by Oct 31 would not be used. She is one of about 150-200 Muslim Turkey, she has worn the niqab since she was 18. charge businesses well below a penny per SMS, and not be fined or charged if they choose to leave the women - 0.1 percent of those in the country - who daily “I’ve realized that democracy doesn’t work. the price is still close to a penny when including fees country voluntarily. The amnesty also grants those wear either the niqab or burqa garments covering the Politicians boast of freedoms and rights when they are collected by intermediaries between carriers and busi- looking for employment a six-month visa to find a face or the entire body. Muslims account for around 5 making fun of Muslims and when they are drawing nesses. WhatsApp had announced in January it would job. It excludes, however, those who are “blacklisted” percent of Denmark’s 5.7 million population. Continued on Page 24 Continued on Page 24 or with legal cases pending. The UAE press pub- lished testimonies of blue collar laborers who had come forward for the amnesty yesterday. —AFP than water, with the government trim- Saudis try once ming oil-funded subsidies and tackling sluggish economic growth and high India warns against sharing Aadhaar unemployment. “When I started this ‘lowly’ jobs as food truck two years ago many people MUMBAI: The body running India’s biometrics- said: ‘What? You will sell burgers and based national identity card system has warned peo- economy bites sandwiches in the street? You come from ple against sharing their unique card number publicly a big family and big tribe’,” said Bader after the country’s telecom regulator tweeted his in a RIYADH: Dishing out burgers and fries Al-Ajmi, the 38-year-old owner of One challenge to critics to do him “any harm”. R S Sharma, slathered with melted cheese, “One Way Way Burger. “People were surprised,” he the head of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Burger” is like any other trendy food added, as a Porsche pulled up at the side (TRAI) and the Unique Identification Authority of truck in Riyadh. But it offers something of his truck to place an order. India’s (UIDAI) first director general, last week posted rare - the cook behind the sizzling hot Since Ajmi started his business, dip- his Aadhaar number on Twitter after users challenged grill is a Saudi. In the once tax-free ping into his personal savings, owning a him to share the details to prove it was a safe system. petro-state, which long offered its citi- food truck has become the trend du jour As Twitter users dug out Sharma’s personal details - zens cradle-to-grave welfare, blue-collar and attained a level of respectability. including his phone numbers, WhatsApp profile, the occupations such as cooking, cleaning Working inside as a cook apparently still brand of smartphone that he carries and his address - and working at gas stations have largely has not.