ARAB TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021 LOCAL 4 Who benefited from the money Kuwaitis spend for their travel? Large part of amount said directed to local spending

KUWAIT CITY, March 14: More than a National Assembly Speaker Al-Ghanim year has passed since the COVID-19 out- break and the subse- quent travel restric- tions and disruption of overseas tourism plans for many citizens. Amid these restrictions imposed around the world and the reluc- tance to travel, a ques- tion that comes to one’s mind is -- Where did the Kuwaitis spend the billions they normally spend on traveling?, reports Al-Qabas daily. KUNA photos According to economic HH the PM Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled sources, the amount spent by Kuwaitis on foreign travel, HH Deputy Amir receives senior officials either for tourism, treatment or study purposes, before the His Highness the Deputy Amir and Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled pandemic was estimated at Crown Prince Sheikh Meshaal Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received He also received at the same about $16 billion annually. at Seif Palace on Sunday National venue Deputy Prime Minister and With the spread of the pan- Assembly Speaker Marzouq Ali Minister of Justice and Minister of demic and the disruption of Al-Ghanim. State for Integrity Enhancement travel movement, a large part His Highness the Deputy Amir host- Abdullah Youssef Al-Roumi. KUNA photo ed at Seif Palace His Highness the (KUNA) Part of the Minister of Social Affairs tour to inspect the procedures for examining recent arrivals to the country. of this amount was directed to local spending or kept aside as savings. Local sectors and Prices to be reviewed every 6 months Closure of vaccination centers during holidays criticized activities have recovered because of the money that was pumped into the local ‘Covid-19 vaccines used in Kuwait highly safe’ economy. New prices for home internet Retail sales, specifically luxu- KUWAIT CITY, March 14: Minister reports Al-Qabas daily. down, but under the condition that the ry goods stores in the country, of Health, Sheikh Dr Basil Al-Sabah Observers stressed the need to take companies contracted to supply vac- had a large share of this money, subscription in Kuwait: PACIT said all Covid-19 vaccinations used in advantage of the time factor to acceler- cines do so as per the scheduled dates, as many citizens preferred to KUWAIT CITY, March 14: The bytes 58 dinars, 6 MB 60 dinars, 7 MB 70 Kuwait are highly safe, with reassur- ate the pace of vaccinations to work to reports Al-Rai daily quoting sources spend their money on buying. Chairman of the Board of Directors of dinars, 8 megabytes 76 dinars, 10 MB 78 ing results, and their resistance to the contain the epidemic, whose numbers from the health sector. This was evident when the malls the Public Authority for dinars, 12 MB 83 dinars, 14 MB 79 epidemic is confirmed, reports have increased dramatically during the They said, “A large quantity of and commercial markets opened Communications and Information dinars, 16 MB 113 dinars, 18 MB 128 Al-Anba daily. past few days. doses is expected to arrive during the their doors at the beginning of Technology (PACIT) Eng Salem dinars, 20 MB 139 dinars, 22 MB 155 He praised God for the good results Observers said the ministry currently coming period”, indicating that the the second phase of the plan for Muthaib Al-Athaina, has issued a deci- dinars, 24 MB 172 dinars, 30 MB 185 and added, “I advise everyone to take has thousands of doses, including the Minister of Health Sheikh Dr Basel return to normal life, as long sion listing the rates for home internet dinars, 40 MB 212 dinars, 50 MB 239 the initiative to register for vaccina- “Pfizer” vaccines which are expected to Al-Sabah held a virtual meeting queues were in front of such subscriptions for individuals in Kuwait, dinars, 60 MB 263 dinars, 70 MB 285 tion, to protect them and to contribute arrive Sunday, so it is illogical to close recently with officials of the manufac- stores. Also, online retail sales reports Al-Anba daily. dinars, 80 MB 304 dinars, 90 MB 314 to increase community immunity.” vaccination centers during holidays, as turers to discuss the arrival dates of the turned out to be one among the The decision No. 36 of 2021, a copy of dinars, 100 MB 322 dinars. Meanwhile, at a time when the it is necessary to operate them con- vaccine batches during the coming biggest winners during the time which has been obtained by the daily, In its second article, the decision states country needs to increase anti-corona stantly to attain herd immunity. period. of the pandemic, because they will be published in the Official Gazette that home internet service providers are virus vaccines, the closure of the In the meantime, by the end of the The sources revealed the strength of witnessed unprecedented sales (Kuwait Alyoum) today March 14, states prohibited from exceeding the maximum Kuwait Vaccination Center at the month of Ramadan, the pace of Covid- the health system and its high capa- with an increase of more than 30 that it has decided to reduce the subscrip- value for home subscriptions stipulated Mishref Fairgrounds and other 15 cen- 19 vaccination campaign might reach bilities to vaccinate more than 300,000 percent. tion fees for home fixed, lined and wire- above, and in the third article of the deci- ters spread all over the country during desired levels, rendering ineffective people per month, provided that vac- Seriousness less internet subscriptions in Kuwait. The sion says it is not permissible to impose a the holidays was highly criticized, measures such as curfews and lock- cines are available. maximum annual tariff is as for annual fair use policy in providing home internet The sectors of luxury goods, subscription is as follows: services. electronics and furniture in the The annual subscription for 1 MB is of Subscription prices will be reviewed country witnessed a great turnout 20 dinars; for 2 megabytes 33 dinars, 3 periodically every 6 months and when- by citizens. Since many of the MB 43 dinars, 4 MB 52 dinars, 5 mega- ever necessary. stores in these sectors were phys- ically closed and travel move- ment was suspended, they Traffic congestion to be discussed showed more seriousness in offering their products and ser- vices via the Internet with the aim of reaching the largest pos- Govt to review today reports of sible number of customers. Regarding whether the local tourism sector received a share Corona Emergency Committee of the amount that Kuwaitis nor- mally spend for travel purposes, KUWAIT CITY, March 14: His Highness taxi and they may face difficulties in the sources indicated that the the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah obtaining an exit permit for the driver absence of real tourism projects Al-Khalid will chair the regular session because he does not have an appointment and the scarcity of recreational of the Council of Ministers on Monday, for vaccination, which leads to the appli- facilities have made this sector during which the council will review the cation of the penalty for breaking the cur- unattractive to many citizens, reports of the Corona Emergency few. They also called for allowing restau- especially with the closure of Committee which met last Wednesday rants to deliver during curfew hours. many facilities, such as the under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Sources added the government will entertainment city, parks, the Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh clearly define its priority projects in prep- ice-skating rink, and others, in Hamad Jaber Al-Ali, reports Al-Anba aration for the next parliamentary ses- addition to the absence of new daily quoting sources. sion, affirming the government’s serious- tourism ideas in Kuwait com- Sources revealed the committee’s ness in fulfilling its promises to coordi- pared to some countries in the reports include the results of implement- nate and follow up all the proposed files region. ing partial curfew, confirming they are and complete the legislation in prepara- The sources stressed that, convinced about the importance of con- tion for the upcoming parliamentary ses- despite the significant increase in tinuing the partial curfew. Sources point- sion on March 30. the value of gold in 2020, many ed out the traffic congestion during peak In response to a question about sup- women, especially the elderly, hours is because the employees in public porting the owners of small and medium continue to buy gold as well as and private sectors go out of their work- enterprises (SMEs), sources confirmed diamond sets. places at the same time. there is a package of economic measures They added, “The real estate If it is not possible to delay the start of in front of the council to help SMEs dam- sector did not receive a share of the curfew, sources suggested setting a aged by the corona pandemic. the amount, as the value of real schedule such that government sector Among the procedures for the affected estate in the country is high, and employees leave their workplaces one companies could be an extension of six the money that the citizens saved hour earlier than those in the private sec- months to a year to hand over government during the crisis would not be tor in order to prevent traffic congestion projects for which they have been given enough to buy a house, chalet or and guarantee smooth flow of traffic on approvals to work during the curfew, and farm. the main streets and roads, reduce work- the possibility of direct compensation. The sector that flourished and ers in the Ministry of Interior and reduce Sources revealed the Ministry of benefited from the citizens’ the number of curfew violators. Health is preparing to implement a pro- money is a sector related to leas- The sources also demanded for opening posal to open sports stadiums in the gov- ing and not buying, as the coun- vaccination centers for the expatriates ernorates for Tarawih prayers during the try witnessed a boom in the rent- before curfew, especially since some of holy month of Ramadan, along with the ing of chalets, farms, and live- them cannot go to the centers without a big mosques. stock pens. The car sector and its financ- ing received a large share too, as KD 809m difference some citizens preferred to buy new cars, and others worked on paying the remaining install- ments of their cars”. KPC okays cut in estimated Most agencies capital cost of drilling wells submit lists for KUWAIT CITY, March 14: Kuwait With regard to the accounting project Petroleum Corporation (KPC) has between KPC and the Ministry of approved the reduction of the estimated Finance, sources confirmed that the cor- frontline reward capital cost of drilling wells from poration suffers from a growing deficit in KUWAIT CITY, March 14: KD1.804 billion to KD995 million - a its cash flows due to the current method Most government agencies have difference of about KD809 million or a of accounting with the ministry as KPC submitted lists of employees reduction of 45 percent of the budget for finances KOC projects amounting to eligible for the coronavirus drilling wells only despite the increase in about KD2 billion annually from its own frontline workers reward, the number of wells to be drilled, reports revenues, while the ministry pays these except six entities that are still Al-Rai daily quoting high-ranking oil sums to KPC over a period of 25 years; amending their lists, reports sector sources. noting that all oil sales revenues are Al-Rai daily quoting sources Sources added the capital spending in transferred directly to the ministry. from the Civil Service the five-year plan of Kuwait Oil Company The sources pointed out that the deficit Commission (CSC). (KOC), amounting to KD24.75 billion, in financial flows with KPC has become Sources disclosed the CSC has been reduced to KD12.7 billion with- inevitable, especially after using most of has submitted the lists to the out affecting the production capacity or its funds to finance the projects of KOC Ministerial Committee after oil reserves through the postponement of and to fill the deficit in its cash flows. being reviewed once again by some capital programs and a 40 percent The corporation has resorted to borrow- the concerned staff in the reduction in electrical energy usage. ing for refining and petrochemical proj- CSC. Sources said this is in Most of the building projects are also ects, which requires immediate treatment; preparation for determining postponed - around 72 percent, provided otherwise, the production capacity of oil the date for the payment of the that optimum use of operations facilities will decrease, while gas and State reve- reward. is achieved at 30 percent. nues are declining.