RABI ALTHANI 2, 1439 AH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2017 Max 26º 32 Pages 150 Fils Established 1961 Min 06º ISSUE NO: 17411 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Security, medical preparations River cruise weddings ‘We’re not just oil traders’: Lakers retire Kobe’s two jersey 5 completed for 23rd Gulf Cup 11 return to Iraq’s Basra 17 Saudis to issue tourist visas 13 numbers at halftime ceremony Opposition MPs walk out as new ministers take oath VAT law referred to finance panel • Minister warned over expat health fees By B Izzak KUWAIT: About 11 opposition MPs walked out of a National Assembly session yesterday - the first regular Saudis intercept meeting since the term opener on Oct 25 - when new Cabinet ministers began taking the oath to become Houthi missile members of the Assembly. The lawmakers were protesting against the government for taking no action towards the jailing of two opposition MPs - Jamaan Al- over Riyadh Harbash and Waleed Al-Tabtabaei - after they were RIYADH: Saudi air defenses intercepted a ballistic convicted for storming the Assembly in Nov 2011. The missile fired towards the capital Riyadh yesterday, lawmakers protested the fact that their colleagues were the Saudi-led coalition said, the latest attack by a sent to jail although they still enjoyed parliamentary Yemeni group that could escalate a proxy war immunity. between the kingdom and regional rival Tehran. MP Adel Al-Damkhi submitted a letter on behalf of There was no immediate report of casualties or the opposition MPs criticizing the inaction of the damages. The Iran-aligned Houthi movement said Assembly and the government over the jailing of the the missile targeted the royal court at Al-Yamama two lawmakers. Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghnem said he palace, where a meeting of Saudi leaders was under discussed the issue with the Assembly’s constitutional way, describing the attack as a new chapter in the experts and it was decided to refer the letter to the conflict. legal and legislative committee. The Saudi-led coalition said the missile was Damkhi criticized the interior ministry for arresting directed at residential areas and there were no the two MPs even though they are members of the KUWAIT: Opposition MPs stage a walkout during a parliament session at the National Assembly damages, the Saudi state news agency SPA report- Assembly. Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat (See Page 3) ed. Quoting a statement from the coalition, SPA said Al-Sabah said the ministry did not arrest Harbash or Iranian-made missiles were a threat to regional and Tabtabaei, as they gave themselves up to police, while a cent tax on almost all products to raise non-oil rev- carefully”. The warning came after the minister said the international security, and accused the Houthis of third MP, Mohammad Al-Mutair, is still outside the enues. Saudi Arabia and UAE are planning to start decision will be reevaluated after three months of using humanitarian entry points to import missiles country. imposing the tax in January, while Kuwait must get the imposing it. The Assembly also rejected with a comfort- from Saudi Arabia’s arch-foe Iran. “Coalition forces During the debate, the Assembly agreed to refer a approval of the Assembly before imposing it. able majority a request to establish a committee for confirm intercepting an Iranian-Houthi missile tar- draft law on value-added tax (VAT) to the financial and During the session, MP Khalil Al-Saleh called on the combating vice and promoting virtue, as only 17 MPs geting (the) south of Riyadh. economic affairs committee from the legal committee to new health minister Sheikh Basel Al-Sabah to study the out of 47 present approved the request. Continued on Page 11 study the contents of the law, which is part of the GCC agreement. The VAT law stipulates imposing a five per- decision raising medical charges on expatriates “very Continued on Page 11 2 Established 1961 Local Wednesday, December 20, 2017 Amir meets newly-appointed ambassadors to Kuwait KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with the ambassador of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with the ambassador of France. Turkey. —KUNA KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah received at Bayan Palace yesterday the creden- tials of the newly appointed ambassadors of Turkey, France, Fiji, Macedonia, Angola, and Ireland to the State of Kuwait. Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, head of His Highness the Amir’s office Fahad Al-Fahad, Amiri Diwan Advisor Mohammad Abulhassan, head of Amiri Protocols Sheikh Khaled Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah, Assistant Foreign Minister for Protocols’ Affairs Ambassador Dhari Al-Ajran, and head of the Amiri Guard Authority Brigadier Fahad Al-Zayed attended the reception. In other news, His Highness the Amir received His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Meanwhile, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received His Highness Sheikh Nasser, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- as well as Sheikh Ali Al-Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. —KUNA Al-Sabah meets with the ambassador of Fiji. Al-Sabah meets with the ambassador of Macedonia. Sabah meets with the ambassador of Angola. Kuwaiti, Canadian Defense ministers discuss cooperation KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with the visiting Canadian Minister of National Defense Harjit Sajjan. —KUNA KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Minister and Minister of Defense welcomed the Canadian official on Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad his Kuwait, saying that continuous Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and the visiting meetings of such nature will boost Canadian Minister of National relations within the defensive Defense Harjit Sajjan discussed domain. Meanwhile, Minister during a meeting yesterday ways Sajjan thanked the Kuwaiti official to enhance defense cooperation. for his sincere sentiments and The Defense Ministry’s Public invited him to visit Canada at his Relation Department indicated that convenience. —KUNA Kuwait, Sudan boost judicial ties KHARTOUM: Chairman of Kuwait’s Supreme Judicial Council Justice Yousef Jassem Al-Mutawa meets with Sudan’s First Vice President and Prime Minister Bakri Hassan Saleh. —KUNA KHARTOUM: Sudan’s First Vice Ahmed Daifalla said that the President and Prime Minister visit reaffirmed the solid and Bakri Hassan Saleh yesterday eternal bilateral ties. The two reiterated Khartoum’s eagerness countries have cut a long path to boost ties with Kuwait in all toward the formation of joint fields. Receiving Chairman of committee and concluding joint Kuwait’s Supreme Judicial agendas. Council Justice Yousef Jassem Kuwait’s Ambassador to Al-Mutawa and an accompany- Khartoum Bassam Mohammed ing delegation, Saleh lauded the Al-Qabandi described the visit activation of bilateral relations. as ‘fruitful,’ saying it was He also stressed judicial inde- crowned with signing a joint pendence to enhance justice in agenda that will, no doubt, help both countries. The meeting has realize more progress in judicial reaffirmed the deep-rooted spe- cooperation. The Kuwaiti dele- cial ties between Kuwait and the gation arrived in Khartoum Sudan in all fields, Mutawa said. Saturday on a three-day visit to Chief Justice of the Republic enhance cooperation between of Sudan, and President of the the judicial institutions in both national Supreme Court Haider countries. —KUNA Established 1961 3 Local Wednesday, December 20, 2017 Premier stresses need for new stage of cooperation between Cabinet, parliament Adjusting parliamentary practice cannot be delayed: PM KUWAIT: Landing on clear means to reach a new stage of cooperation between the legislative and executive authorities is needed in order for national ambitions to be attained, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al- Sabah said yesterday. The government will present to parliament its action program in parallel with the state’s develop- ment plan, including work strategies and deadlines, said His Highness the Premier in a speech after the new cabinet took oath before the National Assembly. Addressing His Highness the Amir, His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak vowed to “abide by the oath and rise to the occasion of shouldering the responsi- bility, as well as exerting utmost efforts to cooperate with MPs so as to manifest His Highness the Amir’s directions for the wellbeing of the state and interests of citizens.” “Adjusting the parliamentarian practice is an objective that cannot be delayed or procrastinated in order to preserve national gains; as pointed out by His Highness the Amir in his speech,” the Premier said. Principles of the Constitution and the by-laws of the National Assembly, as well as decisions of the Constitutional Court, has established basis of parlia- mentary and monitoring work; enacting the true dem- ocratic practice, said His Highness the Premier in his KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah addresses Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al- speech. yesterday’s National Assembly session. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat Ahmad Al-Sabah takes an oath during yesterday’s parliament session. “These principles would buttress the state’s poten- tials and unite Kuwaitis under the genuine virtue of respecting the other’s opinion in order to have a pure our power to maintain Kuwait’s safety and stability.” In developmental projects in the sectors of oil, transporta- terms of the state’s economic strategy that aims to sus- and vibrant democratic practice,” His Highness pointed this vein, His Highness stressed that “in light of Kuwait tion and communication, power and water, education, tain its position in global competitiveness levels and out.