Minister Resigns After Accusing Mps of Bribery
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SUBSCRIPTION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015 JAMADA ALAWWAL 26, 1436 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Vatican envoy Netanyahu vows Christian protests Serena breezes asks for no Palestinian turn violent into fourth round more churches5 state if re-elected7 in Pakistan11 at20 Indian Wells Minister resigns after Min 17º Max 25º accusing MPs of bribery High Tide 01:92 & 02:32 Low Tide Panel discusses scrapping of Dow Chemical deal 00:57 & 01:34 40 PAGES NO: 16462 150 FILS By B Izzak Kuwait borders KUWAIT: The Cabinet yesterday accepted the resignation of Minister of Electricity and Water and Public Works AbdulAziz Al-Ibrahim who stepped down just one day after ‘safe and secure’ accusing that some MPs were receiving bribes. The cabinet statement did not give any reason for the By Nawara Fattahova resignation only saying that the Council of Ministers KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti army is prepared for any threat understood the reasons of or emergency situation and the northern borders of the resignation specified by the country are 100 percent safe and secure, stated the minister in his letter. State Major General Sheikh Mohammed Yousef Al-Sabah, Minister for Housing Affairs Assisting Undersecretary of Ministry of Interior for Yasser Abul was appointed as Borders Security. “Our army is ready to face any attack a caretaker for the two posts although we are not expecting any. We are able to until a new minister is deal with any emergency within 30 minutes,” said appointed. The resignation Major Al-Sabah during a ministerial tour of the 220- came after comments by the km long northern borders yesterday. minister on corruption in the The northern borders are divided into four sections National Assembly sparked with 19 centers and police patrols working 24 hours a angry reactions from many AbdulAziz Al-Ibrahim day. “I didn’t choose the place of the visit nor did we MPs some of whom demand- make any preparations for the media. We did not ed his resignation while at least two lawmakers announced increase the number of our staff on borders and they plans to grill him. On Sunday, the minister was asked by a are not even bound by emergency,” added Sabah. reporter to comment on a tweet which claimed that some “The main purpose of this tour for the media is to MPs were paid KD 350,000 to grill him. He indirectly agreed present an exact picture of the situation of the Kuwaiti and said that’s the price of fighting corruption. That state- borders. We have expanded the electrical security sys- ment was considered by many MPs as an accusation that tem to Al-Shaheed, and further to Al-Salmi. KUWAIT: Major General Sheikh Mohammed Yousef Al-Sabah interacts with Iraqi Major General Jaber Wadi and MPs are corrupt and vowed they will question the minister Continued on Page 13 other Iraqi officials (right) during a visit to the northern borders yesterday. — Photo byYasser Al-Zayyat in the national assembly. Continued on Page 13 Kuwait meet aims Kuwait plans to introduce corporate tax to raise billions Govt seeks IMF advice on taxing local firms in aid for Syria KUWAIT: Kuwait has sought help from rich Gulf state after the recent introduc- (12.4 billion euros) to more than $77 bil- last year, according to finance ministry the International Monetary Fund to tion of a new corporate law, the minister lion this fiscal year, mostly on wages and figures. KUWAIT: As many as 78 nations and 40 international introduce corporate taxes in a bid to said. Kuwait currently imposes no taxes subsidies. In the same period, oil income dived organizations will attend the third donors conference diversify revenue in the face of falling oil on local companies, Kuwaiti citizens and Earlier this year, the emirate stopped 17.3 percent to $68.3 billion from $82.5 aimed at raising billions of dollars for war-torn Syria, prices, a minister said yesterday. expatriates but it requires foreign firms diesel, kerosene and aviation fuel subsi- billion. The state is however forecast to host country Kuwait said yesterday. “The IMF will prepare a preliminary to pay 15 percent tax on their profits. dies and the finance ministry is consider- end this fiscal year with a surplus-albeit The March 31 gathering at foreign ministers level report on how to impose taxes on com- The IMF has in the past advised ing similar measures for petrol, electricity smaller than usual-for the 16th year in a will be opened by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah panies in Kuwait,” Commerce and Kuwait to subject local companies to cor- and water. row. The government has announced the Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and UN Secretary General Industry Minister Abdulmohsen Al- porate tax as part of a series of measures Oil income contributed around 94 2015/2016 budget with a $24 billion Ban Ki-moon, a foreign ministry official told the KUNA Mudej said after a meeting with IMF rep- aimed at boosting non-oil revenues and percent of Kuwait’s public revenues but deficit despite slashing spending by 17.8 news agency. resentatives, the official KUNA news cutting spending. the sharp drop in prices is expected to percent to $65.1 billion. Nations are expected to announce pledges for UN agency reported. Kuwait has posted a budget surplus in substantially reduce its income. Kuwait’s There are about 1.25 million Kuwaitis humanitarian operations in Syria where 12 million The two sides discussed ways of intro- each of the past 15 fiscal years due to revenues in the first 10 months of the in the country, in addition to 2.9 million people both inside and outside the country need ducing corporate taxes for Kuwaiti and high oil prices but has also increased current fiscal year dropped 16 percent to foreigners. It pumps about 2.8 million urgent aid. At the first and second conferences, also foreign companies operating in the oil- public spending from under $13 billion $74.5 billion compared to $88.8 billion barrels of oil per day. — AFP hosted by Kuwait, pledges of $1.5 billion and $2.4 bil- lion were made, but the United Nations has com- plained that not all pledges were honored. Ahead of the conference, international non-govern- Qatar Airways boss says mental organizations are due to meet to make their own pledges. Ban urged the Security Council on Delta flying ‘crap’ planes Thursday to overcome divisions and take action to end the war in Syria as the conflict entered its fifth year DOHA: The chief of Qatar Airways yesterday “I think Mr Anderson (CEO of Delta, Richard with little prospect for peace. denied his company receives subsidies and Anderson) doesn’t know the difference between His appeal followed scathing criticism from 21 accused rivals Delta Air Lines of flying “crap” old- equity and subsidy. We never receive any sub- human rights and aid groups who accused world pow- er planes, escalating hostilities between Gulf sidy,” Baker said. “The state of Qatar is the owner ers of “failing Syria” in a report that highlighted the and American carriers. of Qatar Airways and whatever funds are put worsening plight of civilians. Speaking at an arts conference in Doha, into the airline is as equity, which is quite legiti- Last year was the war’s deadliest yet, with at least Akbar al-Baker said any money his airline mate. “The unfortunate thing is that because 76,000 people killed out of a toll of more than 215,000 receives from the state is in the form of “legiti- they are so inefficient they want to blame us- since it erupted on March 15, 2011 with peaceful mate” equity and added his company’s fleet of whilst we are very efficient-for their failures and Continued on Page 13 aircraft were much cleaner for the environment drawbacks. in comparison to Delta. Continued on Page 13 Alarm over Kerry comment on Assad talks DUBAI: A Sotheby’s employee shows a 100.2-carat diamond in a classic emerald-cut during a preview organized by the action RIYADH: A remark by US Secretary of State John Assad, saying these had to include Syrian opposi- house before the jewel goes under the hammer yesterday in Kerry that President Bashar Al-Assad should be tion members and elements of the exiting regime - Dubai. — AFP included in negotiations on a Syrian political tran- but not Assad - to pave the way to a unity govern- sition provoked alarm and dismay yesterday ment. Other Gulf countries, which like Saudi Arabia ‘Flawless’ 100ct among commentators close to Gulf Arab govern- have backed Syrian rebels against Assad, worried ments opposed to his rule. about Kerry’s remarks. Saudi Arabia, the top oil exporter and main Arab “The fact that Assad is still in the picture is diamond on ally of the United States, has long feared that the something we have lived with and accepted as an administration of President Barack Obama lacks interim arrangement. If Mr Kerry was talking about the resolve to tackle Assad and that it is instead this same interim arrangement - one year or two show in Dubai focusing on a nuclear deal with the Syrian leader’s years until negotiations reach some fruit - we main supporter Iran. Although there was no imme- understand,” said Sami Al-Faraj, a Kuwaiti adviser to DUBAI: An internally “flawless” 100-carat diamond was on show yesterday diate official comment from Riyadh, Saudi analysts the Gulf Cooperation Council that comprises Gulf in Dubai ahead of being sold at auction next month by Sotheby’s, where it with connections to the ruling family and conser- Arab states.