The National Assembly yesterday approved an amendment to a law governing domestic workers, changing the word “servant” to “domestic worker” in all Kuwaiti laws to ensure they are in sync with international laws, especially those related to human rights. According to an explanatory note, the amendment was attributed to avoid reservations by international human rights organizations and agencies concerned with labor affairs regarding the use of the term “maidservant” in laws regulating the domestic labor sector or in other laws. The amendment also replaced the term “private maid” with “private domestic worker”, wherever it is mentioned in any law. The second and final round of voting on the amendment will take place after two weeks.
Meanwhile, the court of appeals yesterday overturned a decision allowing expats aged over 60 without university degrees to renew or transfer their work permits within the private sector for one year by paying a fee of KD 250 and KD 500 in comprehensive private health insurance.
The Assembly yesterday also rejected the resignation of MP Yousef Al-Fadhalah, which he submitted around 11 months ago. Only 19 MPs voted to accept the resignation, while the government abstained. Opposition MPs criticized the government for abstaining and charged that the resignation is being rejected due to political motives.
The Assembly agreed to assign the parliamentary public funds protection committee to probe reports about accounts held by the former head of the pension agency in Swiss banks. The former official is currently living abroad and has been convicted of stealing tens of millions of dinars of the agency’s funds. Law enforcement authorities in the country have been trying to repatriate the former head of the pension agency without success.
The National Assembly also discussed a report on resolving the housing problem in the country, in which the housing authority is demanding that its projects be exempted from the prior supervision of the Audit Bureau to accelerate their implementation. The debate on the issue will continue today. The Assembly also decided to delay the debate of a grilling against HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah for two weeks at the premier’s request.
The decor is almost anachronistic. The flex poster of the Ajanta apsara in defiant contrast to the pop colours of the cafe. But there is something strangely comforting about India’s first post office cafe. Siuli, the parcel cafe, housed in the spectacular General Post Office of Kolkata, doesn’t need much to charm its patrons. It’s a success simply because it exists. Outside, the cobbled streets of Kolkata’s made-for-instagram-reels Dalhousie Square is buzzing with activity. This was once the white town of British Calcutta, where us natives had restricted access.
Who wouldn’t want to sit here, sipping coffee, pretending to study an important spreadsheet while actually watching viral reels on Instagram?
“It is important for us that people come to the post office. Which is why we thought a place dedicated to parcel-booking, packaging, gift–packing, booking for same–day delivery in selected locations and also have a café there, so that the younger generation feels like coming to the post office,” says Niraj Kumar, Postmaster-General of Kolkata Region.
Indeed, Siuli the parcel cafe, has a well-appointed panel counter that customers can make use of which also houses a gift and curio shop. “We have everything from philately (stamp collecting) albums to silver trinkets. We also sell packaged Ganga water from Gangotri here. They sell like hot cakes,” says an attendant of the cafe named Kumar.
Interestingly, all the furniture used in the cafe have been repurposed. “We repainted old tables and chairs for the cafe,” informs Kumar.
So, an old sorting table with attached shelves from the 1850s finds a pride-place in the cafe. It is paired with a high chair where the sorter would sit while dividing the letters into zones. Old spears used by runners are mounted on the walls. During the British era, dad runners would deliver letters. The runners would literally run from town to town, village-to-village carrying bags full of letters and parcels. “Since they also carried coin bags with them and valuables, they would often be targeted by thugs and robbers. That’s why they would carry these spears to protect themselves,” says an attendant of the cafe.
According to the India Post official website, India has the largest postal network in the world with 154,965 Post Offices (as on 31.03.2017) of which 139,067 are in the rural areas. On an average, a post office serves an area of 21.56 Sq. Km and population of 7753 people. However, even the annual report of the India Post shows that there has been a decline in the mail volume in the past few years.
Is this cafe one of the ways forward? “If India Post has to maintain its hold in not only the market but also in conversation, in people’s mindscapes, then something more has to be done — that’s why this café,” says Kumar.
Will there be more such cafes around the country? “This cafe is like a roadmap. We will have to see how it fares,” sums up Kumar.
The Council of Ministers has voted to remove the necessity for non-vaccinated teachers and children under the age of 16 to have a PCR negative certificate.
Currently, non-vaccinated teachers and students above the age of 16 must have a PCR negative certificate in order to physically attend classes.
Dr. Faisal Al Awadi, Director of the Kuwait Municipality's Funerals Department, stated that anyone seen destroying graves or photographing funerals in the cemetery may be fined up to 5,000 KD.
Families of the departed and mourners are unhappy, according to an Al-Rai article, with the big crowds that arrive at the cemetery for the burials of politicians, athletes, celebrities, and others. According to the research, this type of phenomenon shows a lack of respect for the dead and graves.
A circular has already been issued to take legal action against anyone who takes images in graves with whatever type of camera. The graves may not be utilized for anything other than the purpose for which they were created, according to Article 3. Article 8 specifies that sanctity must be protected during transportation, washing, shrouding, and burial and that anyone who violates these two articles would be fined between 2,000 and 5,000 dinars.
Kuwait's cabinet approved exchanging vacation days for cash for employees across all state bodies, according to spokesman Tareq Al-Merzem, citing a draft law.
General Surgery and Obesity Consultant at Sabah Hospital Dr Mohammad Al-Sulaimi said a operation on the diaphragm was conducted using advanced technology. He said the procedure was 100 percent successful, adding it was a rare case of Morgagni hernia, which is not widespread and affects only one percent of cases. He said the procedure involved a 52-year-old Kuwaiti who complained of weight loss, difficulty breathing and loss of appetite.
Dr Sulaimi said following an examination and CT scan, a hernia was detected in the diaphragm that required surgical intervention. He said the surgery took 90 minutes. The patient returned to hospital two weeks later and is in excellent condition. He said hernia in the diaphragm occurs when the upper part of the stomach opens through the large muscle that separates the abdomen from the diaphragm, which has a small opening from which the esophagus goes through before reaching the stomach. Dr Sulaimi warned that hernias can be life threatening if not treated and symptoms must not be ignored, adding they may cause other complications.
One of the most vital goals of the ministry is to start the first step to manufacture important medicines in Kuwait to meet local and possibly regional needs in the near future, Dr Saeed stressed. This stage is being started with the US company Abbott, which has initiated cooperation with KSP to accomplish this project, while there is more partnership with other companies to achieve the desired goal that will be announced soon, he added. The success of localizing the manufacture of pharmaceutical products from a leading international company reflects the capabilities of local private companies operating in this sector, as it gives Kuwait a guaranteed stock of these products, Dr Saeed said.
In the meantime, Minister of Commerce and Industry Fahad Al-Shuraian said in his speech during the ceremony that this is the first foreign investment in Kuwait of this size in the health sector, and it is also the first time that an international company in this sector has localized manufacturing in Kuwait. It will also be the first time that products that are used around the world bear the “Made in Kuwait” label, he pointed out, noting that it is an achievement for the Kuwaiti economy as it pushes its industry and local capabilities internationally.
Charge d’Affaires at the US Embassy James Holtsnider highlighted in his speech the importance of this investment in the context of bilateral economic ties between both sides, explaining the role of the US Chamber of Commerce in facilitating this partnership and strengthening economic ties between them. In the meantime, Chairman and Managing Director at KSP Dr Rashed Khazal said that they have worked hard during the past eight months to prepare for this day and launch the manufacturing line of Abbott Laboratories products bearing the “Made in Kuwait” label.
The Environment Public Authority summoned the persons who appeared in a video clip hunting pigeons and issued environmental violations according to article 100 of the EPA.
The Environment Public Authority thanked citizens and expats for their keenness on preserving the environment.
According to local Arabic media Al-Qabas, the Ministry of Interior plans to grant all residency violators a grace period to update their status.
The new grace period will incorporate streamlined controls and terms that are more streamlined than the previous deadlines and will meet the intended goals, according to Al-Qabas.
All violators wanting to leave the country would be exempted from the fine, and they would be allowed to return again within the framework of the law with a new visa, according to the report. In order to adjust one's status and stay in the country, one must pay a fine.
It is hoped that the new proposal will limit the number of violators in the country if it were implemented. At present, roughly 130,000 people are estimated to be in violation of residency laws.
Compared to a net loss of KD 78,683 for the corresponding period in 2020, Kuwait Hotels Company has reported a net profit of KD 595,575 for its fiscal year ending December 31, 2021.
The company reported $10.56 per share in earnings during 2021 compared to a $1.36 loss that was reported at the end of 2020, reported a local Arabic newspaper.
According to the Kuwait Hotels Company's Board of Directors, cash dividends will be distributed at a rate of 5% (5 fils per share) subject to shareholder approval and approval by regulatory authorities.
Fawzi Al-Musallam, CEO of Kuwait Hotels Company and Vice President of the company, stated that the company's move into profitability by 874% was due to the strategic decisions taken by its Board of Directors regarding food and beverage as well as the notably better performance of the hotels during the second year following the illness and the company's hedging strategy since the outbreak of the disease in 2020.
Additionally, the mentioned strategy should have a positive effect on the company in the years to come, especially through the expansion of hotels that will be operated in the next stage.
Kuwait's Central Bank (CBK) has joined the system created in December last year by the Arabian Gulf System for Financial Automated Quick Payment Transfer (Afaq).
Dr. Mohammad Al Hashel, the Kuwait's Central Bank governor, said that the move was part of the bank's efforts to implement the newest technology into retail payment systems and to develop cross-border payment systems in Kuwait.
AFAQ is also a joint regional payment platform that enables remittances to be made in GCC currencies and other currencies in a swift, easy, and safe manner.
He added that the GCC can do an immediate transfer of funds, including full settlement.
Boubyan Bank successfully completed the procedures necessary to join Afaq during the first phase.
The Civil Service Commission said from Sunday, all government institutions and ministries return to normal working hours, reports Al-Rai daily. A daily quoting CSC sources said, according to this decision all cases of exemption from work will be canceled, and the employee’s absence can be accepted within the legally established limits and applicable conditions. The CSC referred to the abolition of the flexible working system and the rotation system and the return to work of the entire workforce 100 percent in addition to adopting the fingerprint attendance system in accordance with what is legally decided in this regard.
According to meteorologist Muhammad Karam, the country will have scattered light rain on Sunday. The rain could be thundery at times, and moderate northwest winds of 15 to 35 kilometers per hour are forecast, he said.
The scorpion season is still in effect throughout the country, with maximum temperatures ranging from 25 to 26 degrees Celsius and minimum temperatures ranging from 14 to 15 degrees Celsius. The weather will change around the country as the year progresses. He mentioned the start of the Sarayat season, which usually starts in early April.
The 24/7 Wall Street website has published a list of 25 countries that purchase mostly American weapons. In this list, Kuwait was ranked 22nd position, and second last among the Gulf countries, reports Al-Rai daily. The website explained that Kuwait, during the period between 2010 and 2020, purchased weapons worth $ 1.37 billion from the United States of America. The imports of arms from the USA constituted 75.4 percent of the total during the same period.
In contrast, military spending in Kuwait amounted to $ 6.94 billion in 2020, or 6.5 percent of GDP. Oman ranked 25th in the world and bought weapons worth $0.78 billion during the period between 2010 and 2020. Morocco ranked 17th globally, spending $2.09 billion for buying American weapons during the aforementioned period.
The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Al-Nawaf during a meeting with senior Interior Ministry officials has stressed on the need to deal with citizens and residents, with respect, especially the expatriates who, he said, should be treated with one rule without discrimination, reports Al-Rai daily. Injustice, the minister said, does not exist in his dictionary, and promised to punish any officer who abuses his authority to harm the citizen or resident, and will be dismissed from work, after taking legal measures against him. Addressing the security officials and employees at the ministry headquarters, Al-Nawaf stressed on the need to implement the law and punish those who violate it.
The Minister of Interior Lieutenant-General (retired) Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, during his meeting with a number of well-wishers.
The demographic structure will be discussed through the Council of Ministers, to deal with the huge numbers that come to Kuwait when it is beyond the ministry’s capacity by exploiting the energies of Kuwaiti youth, an issue that will be his main concern.
The minister added, everyone knows the responsibilities of his Ministry and praised the role of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, Lieutenant-General Anwar Al-Barjas, saying :“Most of you know it well and know its nature, and I ask you to cooperate with each other and I promise you that no matter what I do, I will not oppress anyone, and (injustice is not in my dictionary), I came to fix the situation, and this does not mean that some will be angry with me, for transfer, retirement and/or the process of restructuring,” calling it “part of life and we must accept it, and I hope that no one will get angry with me if he is transferred to another sector or sent to retirement, and Lieutenant-General Al-Barjas is the best proof of this. No one gets angry, when the undersecretary nominates names for transfer, retirement or promotion, and we approve them.” The door of Lieutenant-General Al-Barjas, he said, is open to everyone, as he is currently seeking to take all steps aimed at developing the ministry, so he will listen to all problems, and he will receive any officer who has already been wronged and will solve his problem, and with the application of the law, no one will be wronged.”
He added, most of those who deal with citizens are non-commissioned officers in public security, emergency services and traffic. “They feel people’s pulse, and when they come to the police stations with complaints, they must be taken care of, focus on the citizens and help them as much as you can, rightly and not arbitrarily, the young must be respected before the old, and the newcomer must be respected too, whether he is an Indian or an American, and respect from you must be for all segments of society and those residing on the beloved land, through just dealings with them, especially by the officers and security men who work in the field. “If you want to issue a violation, this should be done with respect, and believe me, any complaint against an officer who offends and abuses the citizen or resident legal procedures that will be taken against him, will have no place among us, because the one who does not respect the citizen and the resident does not respect his country, and we will also not respect him. “I hope that everyone respects everyone, apply the rule of law to everyone, overcoming the obstacles they face and facilitating their affairs should be the norm of work, and this will reflect on the reputation of government agencies. Most of you know me well, and know my style, I do not accept things that offend the citizen, as it is my main job, and I came to serve him.”
The minister concluded his speech by saying: “The number of citizens is small, and there will be coordination with the Council of Ministers to study the huge numbers that come to Kuwait when they are above energy, and the demographic structure must be modified, and we must exploit the energies of Kuwaiti youth who do not have a job, and this file is our concern, and I will discuss it with the Council of Ministers, and I will put forward my ideas and what I hear, and the picture will become clear to me when I discuss the matter with the brothers in the Council of Ministers.
This is what I have and I love to convey to you.” The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Lieutenant General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Nawaf sincerly thanked His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al- Ahmad, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad, and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al- Khaled, for putting their confidence in him by handing him the portfolio of the Ministry of Interior. Al-Nawaf said: “We are entering a new era and we will take care of developing the Ministry of Interior, and setting a time frame for the next 5 years to qualify future leaders. “We will now begin to discuss problems and as long as I am at the helm and before I leave the ministry, I must prepare new leaders for the coming years, and the Ministry of Interior has generations present, and work must begin to rehabilitate them and take care of them, and they learn from you as leaders, and benefit from your ideas.”
His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah issued a decision setting controls by which Kuwait’s governorates can accept gifts and donations from inside or outside the country. The new decision raised questions on the need to allow governorates to collect donations especially from organizations outside Kuwait, while some MPs even raised concern regarding the potential that this practice might leave harmful effect on national security, according to their speculations.
The government released a statement defending its decision, saying that it helps make sure that donors are not entitled to any privileges or securities in exchange of their donations, and ensures that donations are made as per controls protecting Kuwait’s unity, sovereignty and stability. Kuwait’s governorates have twinning agreements with various cities around the world and the new decision sets clear mechanisms to use donations collected as part of those agreements and make sure that they are spent appropriately, Government Spokesman Dr Tareq Al-Mezrem further explained in the statement.
The new controls, published in the state’s official gazette ‘Kuwait Al-Youm’ today, allow governorates to accept gifts and donations from individuals, as well as governmental and nongovernmental organizations including those in other countries, in order to set up or improve projects or enhance services presented within the governorate.
The gifts or donations can be in cash or other means, according to the decision, and must meet the following conditions to be accepted: It must not leave harmful effects on Kuwait’s unity, sovereignty and social stability; Must have a legitimate goal that does not violate public order or Islamic values; Must not be offered in exchange of any privileges or priorities presented to the donor. Furthermore, the decision prohibits governorates from asking for gifts or donations. It gives governors the authority to give initial approval on a donation request or reject it before submitting it to the Cabinet for final say.
UPI, as a mode of payment, has become one of the most popular methods, comprising more than half the retail payments in the country. However, the offering by NPCI is limited to internet-enabled smartphones. Also, interestingly, 78% of merchant payments via UPI for the month of February were of less than Rs 500 in value, while for peer-to-peer payments, 59% were worth less than Rs 500. This points towards a trend of UPI being mostly used for smaller retail transactions.
The availability of the service on feature phones without an internet connection could help it penetrate into rural areas of the country, enhancing financial inclusion and digital adoption, while also driving payments’ volumes on the platform.
According to RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, UPI recorded more than 450 crore transactions worth Rs 8.26 lakh crore in February 2022, almost double when compared to a year ago. In 2022-21, the total value of transactions was around Rs 41 lakh crore. In the current fiscal, the total volume of transactions is Rs 76 lakh crore.
“This move is designed to increase digital penetration of financial services and help people at the bottom of the pyramid, who cannot afford smartphones, to participate in UPI transactions. It will thus bring a majority of them into the digitisation fold,” Anand Kumar Bajaj, the founder and CEO of PayNearby, said. He added: “As it does not require internet connections, it will empower regional rural markets to join the digital payments bandwagon.”
How does one use UPI123Pay?
UPI123Pay is a three-step method to initiate and execute services for users.
It includes calling an IVR (interactive voice response) number, app functionality in feature phones, missed call-based approach and also proximity sound-based payments. The missed call feature would allow phones to access their bank accounts and perform routine transactions, such as receiving or transferring funds, regular purchases, bill payments, etc. A user just has to give a missed call on the number displayed at the merchant outlet. The customer will then receive an incoming call to authenticate the transaction by entering the UPI pin. The scan-and-pay function of UPI, available on smartphones, is not there on UPI123Pay.
How does it take the UPI programme forward?
Even though UPI can alternatively be accessed through the National Unified USSD Platform using the code *99#, the process has not seen an uptick in adoption or popularity. However, with UPI123Pay, it would reach 40 crore feature phone users in the country, potentially making a material improvement in the way they access the popular payments platform.
The RBI estimates that overall volumes on UPI will touch Rs 100 crore soon and UPI123Pay could play a significant part in it.
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health (MoH) on Friday said it has recorded 280 new infection cases with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours, raising tally of the cases to 625,202. The MoH spokesperson, Dr. Abdullah Al-Sanad, said in a statement to KUNA that 560 new recovery cases were listed, during the same period, increasing tally of the cured to 618,194, adding no deaths were recorded, thus the death toll remained at 2,549. There are currently 17 cases at intensive care units, while the overall count of the infected cases that needed treatment dropped to 4,459, in addition to 114 cases in covid-19 wards. Dr. Al-Sanad also reported 7,571 new PCR tests were freshly conducted, with the whole count of these examinations hitting 7.7 million
Earlier the official spokesman for the Ministry of Health, Dr. Abdullah Al-Sanad, stated that the daily Covid 19 cases on the ministry’s official accounts on social media will be stopped and only be published on website from the coming week. Al Sanad further stated that there has been improvement in the epidemiological situation in the country, thanks to Almighty God and efforts of the health workers, state institutions, citizens and expats.
Price hikes on goods worldwide due to and the negative repercussions of supply chains or value added tax reform will not be an objective reason for stalling progress on the tax reform law or stopping the work on drafts of value-added taxes and selectivity or Uniform Tax Procedures.
Furthermore, the sources said that the increase in oil prices would not derail or postpone reform plans, since the rise in oil revenues would relieve a lot of pressure on the Government as a consequence of reforms. As a result, the reform plans should not be shelved since they are metaphysical and not guaranteed.
Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) announced yesterday launching fifth liquified gas line at Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery, the company’s second largest project after the clean fuel project. The company’s CEO Waleed Al-Bader stated that the pipeline reinforces the company’s production of liquified gas, adding to it around 805 million square feet of gas and 106,000 barrels of condensates, marking a 30 percent increase in production.
Bader explained that the fifth line reflects the company’s objectives of expanding profitable derivatives that correspond to global markets, indicating that gas derivatives are considered the company’s best products in terms of being eco-friendly and very profitable, adding that the project provides work opportunities for national cadres.
Chairman of Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery Shujaa Al-Ajmi elucidated that the project works on treating natural gas extracted from oil wells, as well as producing gases of methane, ethane, propane, butane, and natural gasoline. Ajmi added that the project includes a secondary unit that produces clean fuel gas, bolstering safety levels. Furthermore, Ajmi spoke of the challenges the coronavirus pandemic proposed saying that the project was operated successfully despite delays in equipment importing and difficulties in providing specialized technicians.
Meanwhile, acting chairman Ghanim Al-Otaibi commented that this large-scale project required, at one point, 6,900 workers on site, and working hours from the beginning of the project to the end reached 57 million working hours, affirming that there were no dangerous accidents as safety measures were observed. Otaibi also affirmed the keenness of the company on incorporating local businesses in the project, as the private sector’s share comprised 20 percent of the project’s cost, adding that local companies also participated in importing equipment and constructions.
