(MENAFN- Arab Times) The National Assembly Speaker Marzouk Al- Ghanem has described the Shaddadiya University project tour of MPs last Thursday as successful. He said he is happy to seek Kuwaiti youths working seriously on this project. In a press statement, Al-Ghanem said the tour cut short the long process of MPs submitting parliamentary queries this university project "because within minutes the visiting MPs got answers to their long line of queries because they got firsthand information on the work being carried out and saw some of the obstacles which hinder such work and the need for legislation to avoid such problems in future."
Issues
He disclosed the field tour of government projects will continue. He disclosed next Thursday the MPs will tour the Jaber Hospital and the Jahra and Jamal Abdul-Nasser roads projects. He stressed such visits have achieved many successes and that a number of MPs are excited and have shown interest for such visits. He disclosed the Parliament will hold a consultative meeting with MPs next Tuesday in the National Assembly's Conference Hall at 12:30 pm. He said "all MPs are invited to discuss the title of the next legislative round and the priority issues which should be solved with government cooperation." He added all work done by Parliament and the MPs is subjected to Parliament approval during the next session which is slated for Oct 26, 2013.
Asked about some MPs who are preparing to submit grilling requests against some ministers during the next legislative round, Al-Ghanem stated "Every MP has right to practice his supervisory role in the manner he/she sees it fit and I will deal with every grilling request in accordance with the Constitution and the bylaw." MP Khalil Al-Saleh has presented a draft bill to impose health insurance on visitors to Kuwait saying this system is used in a number of countries to ensure government hospitals are not negatively exploited and to serve and activate the health sector work in the country. Speaking on the issue, Al-Saleh explained this bill will correct the process of incorrect exploitation of the government hospitals and will work to activate and benefit from the health sector. He added thousands of people visit Kuwait every month and therefore such visits must be organized. On the other hand, Al-Saleh confirmed that he attended the Finance and Economic Affairs Committee meeting of the National Assembly Sunday to discuss the Kuwait Airways privatization law. He added, "I was surprised with the government stand because it wants to discuss the issue again although it was approved by the annulled Parliament which was elected in December 2012. He added, members of the committee have stressed that what was approved in the law will go through and "we will not allow any new layoffs to happen to our citizens." He hopes the government will attend next committee meeting with a clear vision on amending the law and that this law will determine the success or failure of privatization projects in the future. For his part, Rapporteur of the Committee, Faisal Al-Kandari has stated members of the committee have agreed with the government on the KOC privatization law as approved by the previous Parliament. He stressed the disagreement is on the 'golden share' and the government says this system has been abandoned by many countries long ago.
He added a joint committee comprising members from the government and the Parliament has been formed to study the amendments of the BOT (build-operate-transfer) law. He added, "It is not substantial amendments per se but a redrafting of the law to ensure the law achieves the aspirations and move Kuwait forward." Meanwhile, the Educational Affairs Committee Sunday held a meeting with Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf and Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education Dr Rashed Al-Nuwaihad. Committee member, MP Abdul-Kareem Al-Kandari explained the committee discussed with the minister the conditions of culture attachÈ offices, rules and regulations of scholarships, and problem of accreditation of academic certificates of foreign universities. He said he has called for adopting a new method and a new philosophy in the working policy of cultural offices. He also called on the minister to open cultural attachÈ offices in the countries that have Kuwaiti students associations and allow the students there to be used in these offices to benefit from their experiences. He also called on the ministry and the undersecretary to adopt doctorate decree system in the higher education scholarships especially students are sent outside to master's degree courses. This he said will complete academic system in the country and open opportunities for Kuwaiti students. He stressed on the need to address the problem of accreditation of academic certificates from foreign universities "especially since the number of the people affected from this issue has increased as a result of stopping the recognition of some universities without 'good' reason."
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