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Kuwaittimes 10-1-2019.Qxp Layout 1 JAMADA ALAWWAL 4, 1440 AH THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019 28 Pages Max 18º Min 10º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17729 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Arab Robotics Championship Japan survive scare as 328kicks off at Kuwait University Qatar get welcome win Don’t miss your copy! Abdulsamad defends expats as Hashem denies insulting them Kuwait eyeing taxation system • Muwaizri likens Assembly to KGB By B Izzak and A Saleh The two lawmakers called on authorities people. He said he will oppose the privati- to fight against the so-called visa traders zation of health, education and the oil sec- Interior ministry KUWAIT: Prominent lawmaker Adnan who exploit expatriate workers by tak- tors. Abdulsamad yesterday strongly defend- ing large fees from them to issue visas Notably, Secretary General of the warns against ed expatriates living and working in the but without giving them any work. Supreme Council for Planning and country and rejected a campaign target- Kuwait is home to over three million Development Khaled Mahdi yesterday ing them, insisting that they are here expatriates and around 1.4 million citi- said state revenues come from natural illegal rallies because Kuwaiti companies brought zens, prompting some MPs and activists resources and investments, adding that KUWAIT: The interior ministry has warned against them to serve the country. Speaking dur- to call for the Kuwaitization of jobs in Kuwait is on the verge of imposing a taxa- gathering or marching in violation of the laws with- ing a debate on the Amiri speech in the the government. tion system with the aim of improving out obtaining permission from competent authori- Assembly, the lawmaker said it was During the session, several lawmakers public services. Mahdi added that a num- ties. This came in a press statement by the general strange to see a campaign targeting clashed over a decision by the legal and ber of the development plan projects have directorate of relations and security information at expatriates, adding that “they only came legislative committee to lift the immunity of been completed, while others are still the ministry yesterday after reports were circulated here at the wish of those who recruited Islamist MP Mohammad Hayef over com- under construction. “Finished projects on social media about plans by some individuals to them - citizens, the government and ments on Twitter. Several MPs accused the were launched in 2018 include Jaber march in Taima in Jahra tomorrow. companies”. He added that there are committee of not being neutral because in Hospital, Terminal 4 and Jahra Hospital,” he The ministry stressed the security establishment’s jobs that “only expatriates can do” and the tweet, Hayef did not mention any explained, noting that some projects have keenness on the security and safety of citizens and called on all to respect them. names. The Assembly then voted to reject been rescheduled. residents in order to preserve peace and order in MP Safaa Al-Hashem, who has been the recommendation to lift his immunity. After the session, leading opposition the country. It appealed to citizens and residents to highly critical of expatriates, said she has MP Riyadh Al-Adasani criticized the MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri, who on Tuesday cooperate with the ministry in order for it to per- never undermined the dignity of expatri- Adnan Abdulsamad government for hiking the prices of petrol clashed with Speaker Marzouq Al- form its duties fully. Although the statement did not ates but always aimed at rectifying the and other services, saying such increases Ghanem, criticized the way the speaker provide additional details, protests have been held in huge imbalance in the demographic Responding to Hashem, Abdulsamad negatively impact both citizens and expa- manages sessions. Muwaizri claimed that Taima by bedoons (stateless residents) demanding structure. She said that there are many said that he did not mean to target her, triates. He said MPs will oppose any gov- the Assembly has become like the Soviet citizenship and other rights in 2011 and 2014, with “marginal” expatriate laborers in the but was referring to what is being said at ernment move to impose taxes or increase KGB and alleged some MPs were being security forces responding with tear gas. — KUNA country who have “exhausted” public diwaniyas against expatriates and some the cost of public services because the spied on. The next Assembly session will services and infrastructure. instances of harassment against them. burden of such measures will fall on the be held on Jan 30. compensation amounting to $156 million, charging the procedures will be completed against a British financial News in brief Social security company with making clandestine deals with a former company and its group, affirming its approach to official of the institution between 1996 and 2013. The reforms and legally punishing the corrupt. New visit visa rules institution said it filed the libel suit in November, but Meanwhile, PIFSS Director General Hamad Al- institution sues abstained from revealing the legal move pending official Humaidhi said the institution filed the libel case after KUWAIT: The interior ministry’s residency affairs approval. completing examination of past investments and directorate announced new regulations for issuing British company The press release quoted Finance Minister Nayef acquiring needed evidence and documents. PIFSS has various types of visit visas, said informed sources, Al-Hajraf as saying that instructions by HH the Prime taken the legal measures against the investment manag- KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Public Institution for Social noting that the residency affairs director directed Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah er of the British company, he said, affirming that it will Security (PIFSS) has filed a libel suit with the supreme various department managers to set a minimum with respect to combating corruption and taking legal continue scrutinizing relevant enterprises and taking court of the United Kingdom against asset management salary of KD 500 for sponsors applying for visit action were implemented this year. Hajraf, as cited by the warranted legal measures to reclaim public funds company Man Group PLC and its subsidiaries. PIFSS visas for their parents or in-laws. The instructions the press release, said PIFSS had taken legal measures with the support of the political leadership and the said in a press release yesterday it is seeking tentative also authorized various immigration managers to set against officials of Abraj Holding Group, and now these Cabinet. — KUNA the visit period for parents and in-laws at 30 days for family visit visas and 90 days for tourist visit visas Times on the condition of anonymity. “We are very were addressed,” she noted. The spokesperson also according to the sponsors’ jobs, circumstances and 73 stranded Indian happy about this. We’ve waited so long; our families praised the health ministry officials in Kuwait, the media the reason for the visit. The new instructions limit suffered enough because of this ordeal. Now the job that highlighted their issues to the public and some siblings’ visit visas to 30 days and reaffirmed the sus- we were waiting for is in our hands. We want to make NGOs that supported them in times of need. pension of all visit visa extensions. — Al-Anbaa nurses to start sure we will be performing our duties as per the health “Thank you MoH for allowing us stay at the govern- ministry’s contract. We fought for this for long, so we ment accommodation, where we were provided with Needle-free blood type analyzer work next week really want to express our gratitude to those who stood food while our issues were being tackled. We are now in by us during the darkest times of our ordeal,” the the stage of training and workshops for almost a month By Ben Garcia group’s spokesperson said. to prepare us for the job next week. We’ve been orient- KUWAIT: A team from the technological department “The Indian Embassy did a lot to make this MoH ed to the basic rules and guidelines of the ministry and it of the Public Authority for Applied Education and KUWAIT: Starting next week, 73 Indian nurses who employment possible. We had several fallouts during looks like every one of us is ready for the job. As per our Training (PAAET) has developed a needle-free device have been stranded in Kuwait without a job for the past the past two years with them, but it turned out they expertise, we are ready to work. This is only a refresher able to analyze blood types, said a statement yesterday. two years will finally begin regular duties at Kuwait’s were the ultimate agency that helped us resolve our course, as we’ve worked and have experience in this job, Head of the team Dr Ibrahim Sultan said the device public hospitals and clinics. This was confirmed by a problem. Thank God all problems were sorted out and so it’s easier for us,” she told Kuwait Times. uses light beam-based technology which targets blood representative of the group, who spoke to Kuwait all issues surrounding our employment and legality Continued on Page 24 vessels and determines the blood type of any individ- ual. He revealed that the device was documented in December in a magazine published by the Dove minute primetime address Tuesday night Medical Press. The development of the device comes in Cornered Trump to make the case for his signature line with PAAET’s efforts to develop technology within domestic policy idea, but made no con- the medical field, Sultan affirmed. — KUNA cessions to opposition Democrats, who running out of have rejected funding for the project. The impasse has left 800,000 federal options to end employees without pay, and the partial 6 killed in Qatif raid shutdown that started December 22 is now approaching the longest on record.
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