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JAMADA ALTHANI 29, 1440 AH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2019 28 Pages Max 24º Min 12º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17774 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Amir hosts envoys, thanks Third time lucky: Ex-Nissan ‘Modi sari’ flies off shelves India pull off narrow win 211Qatar for kind gesture chief Ghosn wins bail in Japan 21as India poll fever grows 28 in thrilling Australia ODI Assembly approves mandatory health insurance for all visitors MP: Expats give meds as gifts • Iqama issuance to go online • 2 MPs file to grill Roudhan By B Izzak increase a series of other charges including residency fees. During the debate, the majority of MPs gave KUWAIT: The National Assembly yesterday over- unlimited support for the government to impose such whelmingly approved in two rounds of voting a draft law charges on expatriates, with some alleging that expats requiring foreigners visiting Kuwait to obtain a health in the country take government medicines to their insurance policy for the duration of the visit. The law, home countries. passed by 47 MPs against four with one abstention, also MP Safa Al-Hashem said that in 2018, as many as forbids the interior ministry from issuing visit visas for 621,000 foreigners came to Kuwait as visitors, who foreigners without seeing the health insurance policy. “underwent medical treatment and left” without paying The law stipulates no specific amounts to be paid by charges. She opposed any exemptions in the law. MP the visitors, but this is expected to be defined when the Yousef Al-Fadhalah said expatriates take government ministry prepares the bylaws for the application of the medicines as gifts for their relatives in their home coun- law following its publication in the official gazette with- tries and some are sold in pharmacies there. MP Khalil in one month of reaching the government. Accordingly, Al-Saleh said the measure will provide a new financial the law’s implementation is unlikely to happen before resource for the budget, but MP Adnan Abdulsamad said two to three months or even longer. this is untrue because the ministry has failed to collect its The legislation’s main aim is to prevent foreign visi- insurance money from private insurance companies. tors from undergoing medical treatment at the coun- MP Abdulwahab Al-Babtain said the number of beds try’s public health facilities, although existing laws at public hospitals is not sufficient for Kuwaitis and expa- already ban them as the health service is provided triates, while MP Adel Al-Damkhi said visit visas had through a civil ID which is granted only to those who been misused by expats to come to Kuwait for free med- have legal residence permits. The law is the latest in a ical treatment. Health Minister Sheikh Basel Al-Sabah raft of measures that authorities have taken to tax said the insurance will cover emergency and necessary expatriates following a plunge in oil prices in mid-2014. surgeries only. He added that to resolve the problem of The measures have largely spared citizens. payment of health insurance by expatriates, the ministry KUWAIT: MP Al-Humaidi Al-Subaei shares a light moment with Commerce and Industry Minister Khaled Al- These measures include sharply increasing health has begun receiving payments online, saying that in the Roudhan, whom he filed to grill yesterday, as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Cabinet Affairs Anas Al- charges, raising electricity tariffs by 150 percent and last month, the ministry received KD 3.9 million. Saleh and MP Yousuf Al-Fadhalah look on at the National Assembly yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat raising fuel prices, as the government prepares to Continued on Page 24 weary of his two-decade-old rule. Algeria students Bouteflika suffered a stroke in 2013 and is rarely seen in public. Rallies Number of people demanding the 82-year-old resign have say ‘No’ to fifth rocked Algeria since Feb 22, with protest- ers mobilized by calls on social media, in a taking HIV tests Bouteflika term country where half the population is under 30 and many young people strug- rising in Kuwait ALGIERS: Thousands of Algerian stu- gle to find jobs. Yesterday, thousands of dents marched yesterday in protest at ail- university students from campuses across By Meshaal Al-Enezi ing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s deter- Algiers marched in the capital, many car- mination to stand for re-election, brushing rying their country’s flag. Abderahman, a KUWAIT: The health ministry’s assistant undersec- aside his pledge not to serve a full fifth 21-year-old student, said Bouteflika retary for general health and the head of the national term. Following mass demonstrations, the “wants an extra year” in power. “We don’t committee to fight AIDS Dr Majeda Al-Qattan said veteran leader promised that if he wins the want him to stay even an extra second. He the number of people checking with the experimen- April poll he will organize a “national con- should leave now,” he said. tal AIDS clinic to be tested for HIV and seek advice ference” to set a date for further elections Police deployed across the center of the is growing. Qattan said the clinic’s policy is that on which he would not contest. But his capital where protests have been banned detecting an HIV positive case, and if their spouse pledge, made in a letter read out late since 2001. “Hey Bouteflika, there won’t be Sunday on state television, has been a fifth term,” the students chanted. ALGIERS: Algerian students demonstrate in the capital yesterday against ailing gives consent, they are both subjected to totally President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s bid for a fifth term. — AFP confidential tests that respect their privacy and the angrily dismissed as an insult by Algerians Continued on Page 24 needed treatment is provided to them. “The rise in tests reflects the public’s growing awareness, the accuracy of the tests conducted and swelled by $19 billion in one year and he is list. The CEO of French luxury good com- the availability of effective treatment in Kuwait,” Bezos, Gates and now worth $131 billion. Bezos, who holds 16 pany LVMH, Bernard Arnault, held on to Qattan underlined. She said according to recent percent of Amazon and whose wealth now fourth place. But Zuckerberg lost $9 billion WHO statistics, most newly-detected HIV cases in makes him a target of the left wing of the in net worth and slipped from fifth to the MENA region were diagnosed through volun- Buffett still top US Democratic Party, has widened the eighth. Ahead of Zuckerberg now are tary tests, which helps change patients’ conduct and money gap between himself and Gates, the Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim, Zara and attitudes positively. Qattan added that the commit- world’s ultra-rich philanthropist and co-founder of Inditex founder Amancio Ortega of Spain, tee’s services will soon be expanded to focus on the Microsoft. Gates, 63, has seen his wealth and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. most vulnerable people such as drug addicts using NEW YORK: Jeff Bezos remains the grow to $96.5 billion, up from 90 billion Bloomberg rose from 11th to ninth place as syringes, to protect them and the entire society from world’s richest person, ahead of Bill Gates last year, said Forbes. his fortune increased to $55.5 billion, from both HIV and hepatitis. and Warren Buffett, according to the latest Third place is held by Buffett, 88 and $50 billion, said Forbes. Forbes list of the ultra-wealthy, while far long considered an investment guru, Americans still dominate the list with behind President Donald Trump jumped 51 although he did get stung in late February 14 of the top 20 billionaires from the US. spots in the ranking. While things are by a deep plunge in shares of US Non-Americans among the top 20 largely stable up on top of the list, processed food maker Kraft Heinz, in which include India’s Mukesh Ambani, chairman Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg he had a large stake. Buffett’s fortune of Reliance Industries, in 13th place, and HIV remission dropped three spots and former New York slipped by $1.5 billion to $82.5 billion, the China’s Ma Huateng, head of the Chinese mayor Michael Bloomberg rose by two. magazine estimated. internet giant Tencent, who rounds out patient rekindles According to the list announced yester- It is more or less after this trio that the top 20. Jeff Bezos AIDS cure hope day by Forbes, the riches of Bezos, 55, have things start to get shaken up on the Forbes Continued on Page 24 that are happening right now, are deeply PARIS: For just the second time ever an HIV patient is Clinton rules troubling to me.” in sustained remission from the virus in what was hailed Clinton has held meetings with some of by experts yesterday as proof that the AIDS-causing the Democrats who are now vying for the condition could one day be curable. Ten years almost to out another party nomination or considering a run. the day since the first confirmed case of an HIV-infect- CNN has reported that they include for- ed person being rid of the deadly disease, a man known presidential run mer vice president Joe Biden, who has not only as the “London patient” has shown no sign of the yet said if he is running. “I’ve told every virus for nearly 19 months, doctors reported in the jour- WASHINGTON: Hillary Clinton has for one of them, don’t take anything for grant- nal Nature.