Two Oil Sector Companies Employing Workers Without Advertising Jobs
In a letter forwarded by MP Bader Al-Humaidi to Deputy Prime Minister Kohammad Al-Fares, the MP accused Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC) and Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI) of violating recruitment regulations and National Labor Support Law number 19/2000. According to him, these companies have been hiring workers without publishing job advertisements; therefore, he requested copies of the recruitment regulations and job advertisements published since 2000.
Kuwaitis currently employed at Kuwait National Petroleum Corporation (KNPC) and its subsidiaries are not allowed to apply for advertised positions, the number of applicants rejected because of the condition since 2000 till date, the number of nationals employed by KFPE and KPI compared to foreigners, job descriptions published in their consultant job advertisements, the number of workers hired through labor supply companies, and contracts with consultants since 2000 till date.
Furthermore, he asked what the legal basis was for the Environment Public Authority (EPA) to charge KD80 for the compulsory testing of chemical substances imported from other GCC countries. According to him, Kuwait's decision violates the commercial treaties between Kuwait and other GCC countries, as the authority assigned two companies to carry out the testing and evaluation procedures, even though it has laboratories and staff capable of doing so.
While the Court of Cassation declared that chemical substances imported from other GCC countries are exempt from taxation and testing, the decision remains in effect. The decision contradicts the State's vision for investment and industry development. MP Muhannad Al-Sayer also asked Minister of Health Khalid Al-Saeed for clarification regarding allegations that Kuwaiti women were admitted without medical records to the Psychiatric Hospital. According to him, the Health Ministry did not investigate the issue, the number of these women, and the reasons for confining them at the hospital, as well as whether any of them were abused or assaulted by the medical staff.