The issue of the Integrated Tax System (ITAS), which the Ministry of Finance seeks to introduce, has returned to the fore, as the ministry is now required to take its final decision regarding the company that will undertake this important step in the tax sector in the ministry before the date of next July 8, reports Al-Anba daily. The tax sector’s endeavor in the Ministry of Finance to introduce the Integrated Tax Management System (ITAS), comes within the framework of the continuous development processes of the sector, while these systems were specifically identified as helping the Ministry in managing the current tax laws, and any other laws that may be introduced in the future.

In this regard, “al-Anbaa” learned, through its informed sources, that the Ministry of Finance received a single financial offer regarding the practice of supplying, installing and operating the Integrated Tax Management System (ITAS), and that the bid submitted in connection with this practice came at a cost that may reach about 5.5 million dinars. And that the Ministry of Finance has a period that extends until mid- July to study the bid, make appropriate recommendations and take the appropriate decision in this regard.

The tax administration in the Ministry of Finance began ambitious projects years ago to develop its business, which included providing advisory services for the development of tax administration and the selection of a suitable company to provide the integrated tax management system and related services, as well as providing project management, change management and quality assurance services during the development of the Integrated tax administration system in the ministry.

Through these advisory services, the ministry aims to study the current status of taxation procedures, evaluate the current organizational structure, prepare a report based on the current and future situation and provide the necessary recommendations and prepare a future vision for the taxation model, develop the engineering structure for information systems, design future work procedures, and develop the structure including preparing the job description, preparing the request for proposals to select a suitable system and supplier for the development of the integrated tax management system and related electronic services.

According to informed educational sources, the residency of a teacher or administrator will not be renewed without the payment of fines for traffic violations, reports Al-Anba daily.

They said the Ministry of Education has called on schools of all educational stages to inform this decision to those who wish to renew their residency.

The sources explained that the ministry has issued a number of instructions that need to be followed when applying for residency renewal. They are –

1. The residency cannot be renewed three months before the expiry date.
2. An appointment must be booked through the Ministry of Education website – https://moe.edu.kw.
3. The individual concerned must be present in person and they must adhere to the specified date.
4. The documents required for renewal are –
a. Form No. 1 approved by the school principal or the assistant principal and with the school’s stamp on it.
b. The original passport and civil ID, as well as a copy of each.
c. Printout of the traffic violations
d. A copy of the last stamp of entry into Kuwait.

Deputy Director General for Hawalli and Al-Ahmadi Governorates Sector Affairs at Kuwait Municipality Fahad Al-Shatili confirmed the intensification of inspection tours and control campaigns in all governorates on private and investment housing areas to prevent the use of basements as warehouses in violation of regulations and laws. In a press statement today, Wednesday, after presiding over the joint meeting with the Deputy Chief of the General Fire Brigade for the Prevention Sector, Major General Khaled Fahd, and the directors of the municipality’s branches in all governorates, Al-Shatili said that using basements as warehouses poses a danger to lives and property if they are used for purposes other than those for which they are licensed.

For his part, Major General Fahd stated, according to the statement, that the implementation of the joint inspection campaigns will target real estate in private and investment housing, after it was found through monitoring and follow-up to the use of basements in private and investment housing for a purpose other than what was authorized. At the conclusion of the meeting, they called on the supervisory teams not to be lenient by taking all legal measures against violators and to deter anyone who might be tempted to endanger lives and property. (KUNA)

The Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Traffic and Operations Affairs Major General Jamal Al Sayegh said that the General Traffic Department will soon issue, in cooperation and coordination with the General Department of Information Systems, the car ownership document ‘online’, after it was linked with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and insurance companies.

Al-Sayegh told Al-Jarida daily, this will allow the vehicle owners to enter the main menu and choose the insurance company and the type of document to issue the document, explaining that if the vehicle does not need a technical examination; the ownership book will be issued immediately, but if it is needed, the owner will be notified through the system to review the inspection department. He pointed out that the GTD is currently working to register the ownership book on smart phone devices through the “My Identity” application, as was done with the driving licenses currently available on this application.

The Economist Intelligence Unit, affiliated with the British Economist magazine, highlighted many obstacles hindering the implementation of development projects that are part of the New Kuwait 2035 vision, reports Al-Rai daily.

The administrative difficulties represent the biggest source of bottlenecks in the completion of Kuwaiti projects. The bureaucracy struggles with chronic problems represented in conflicts between departments, lack of decisiveness in the strategy of contracts, lack of efficiency in decision-making, and continuous delays. In addition, the rift between the government and the National Assembly, which constitutes a constant source of oversight and legislative problems, has led to delay and cancellation of major development projects since 2016. The technical problems in completing the projects are related to the great shortage that Kuwait is currently facing in the skilled workforce, following the departure of many expatriate workers from the country.

This problem is expected to worsen with the government’s acceleration of Kuwaitization policies, which will continue to cause a shortage of manpower, and thus create more obstacles in the implementation phase of the projects. On the other hand, there is a positive factor represented in the less financial difficulties that Kuwait will face in 2022 with the rise in oil prices, which led to an improvement in the country’s public finances and thus increased capital investment.

The New Kuwait 2035 vision forms the basis of the government’s long-term strategy to diversify the economy and reduce Kuwait’s dependence on oil, and it thus will take priority in budget spending. The government is expected to use the sudden wealth, represented by the large oil revenues, to invest in huge infrastructure projects such as the Kuwait City metro network and the railway network in order to meet the objectives of the national development plan.

It is also possible that the government will focus on modernizing the existing infrastructure because the significant lack of infrastructure hinders economic growth and fuels political discontent. The Economist Intelligence Unit concluded that, after the forced reduction of capital spending in 2020/2021, the government will strengthen its support for projects with capital returns according to the New Kuwait 2035 vision during the forecast period of 2022-2026. Major public projects will remain threatened due to political blockages and slow bureaucratic procedures, which will lead to continued delays in projects and a limitation of progress. It indicated that the technical difficulties in the implementation phase would increase in parallel with the departure of more expatriate workers and the widening imbalance in the labor market.

A fisherman on the Mekong river in Cambodia has hooked the biggest freshwater fish ever recorded, scientists said – a 300-kilogram stingray. The giant freshwater stingray, which measured four meters from snout to tail, was caught last week and released back into the wild after being fitted with a tag to track its behavior.

The monstrous bottom-dweller beat the previous record for biggest recorded freshwater fish, held by a 293-kilo Mekong giant catfish caught in Thailand in 2005, the US-funded Wonders of the Mekong research project said. The stingray, caught in Stung Treng province in northern Cambodia, was more than twice the weight of an average lowland gorilla, the experts said.

“In 20 years of researching giant fish in rivers and lakes on six continents, this is the largest freshwater fish that we’ve encountered or that’s been documented anywhere worldwide,” Zeb Hogan, a fish biologist leading the Wonders of the Mekong project, said in a statement released Tuesday. “This is an absolutely astonishing discovery, and justifies efforts to better understand the mysteries surrounding this species and the incredible stretch of river where it lives.”

The researchers fitted an acoustic tag to the stingray before returning it to the river, to try to learn more about the secretive creature’s elusive behavior. Last month, an endangered giant freshwater stingray four meters long and weighing 180 kilos was also hooked by a fisherman in the same province. More than 1,000 fish species call the Mekong home and the stingray is not the only giant lurking in the muddy waters – the giant catfish and giant barb also reach up to three meters long and 270 kilos in weight.

Scientists have warned that plastic waste threatens wildlife even in the deepest stretches of the Mekong, along with “ghost nets” – abandoned by fishers but still able to snare fish. The famous waterway starts in China and twists south through parts of Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam, feeding 60 million people through its basin and tributaries. But environmentalists have long voiced concerns about dam building along the Mekong River that will destroy fish stocks. – AFP

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Speaking on the issue of prepaid smart metres, Assistant Undersecretary for Customer Services Sector at the Ministry of Electricity and Water Ahmed Al-Rashidi said the ministry's main goal at this point is to expand the installation of smart metres in investment and commercial sectors in accordance with the set plan.

Al-Rashidi stated in a statement to a local Arabic daily that 120,000 smart metres have been put so far in the governorates of Farwaniya and Hawally, and that work on the remaining locations selected after a detailed survey is proceeding. He highlighted that smart metres will alleviate many of the ministry's difficulties in the past, and he appreciated the team's efforts. He emphasised that the ministry is committed to providing all services to customers through its various offices, as well as the ministry's website, application, and hotline, particularly to those whose metres are being replaced with smart metres, indicating that installation operations will continue once all customer data has been updated within the ministry.

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The concerned committees in the Ministry of Health have yet to discuss the possibility of administering Pfizer and Moderna Corona vaccines for children aged six months to five years old despite the recommendation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in America on the emergency use of these vaccines for this age group, reports Al-Rai daily quoting sources.

Sources explained that “accreditation goes through a series of procedures to check the results of available scientific evidence, which takes a long time – starting from conducting a study up to the final decision on whether to grant accreditation or not.” Sources reiterated that “the health situation in the country is reassuring, considering the intensive care units (ICUs) continue to be free from Corona cases and no new deaths have been recorded so far.”

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The ministry inspectors monitored the violating company after a process that lasted for several days, which resulted in the seizure of a large amount of devices at the company’s headquarters. The ministry’s inspectors are currently checking the company’s invoices to identify the stores which might have purchased any of these phones to take legal measures to protect consumers.

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Embassy of India, Kuwait celebrated the 8^th International Day of Yoga (IDY) at the iconic Red sandstone building of the Embassy today (21 June).

Delivering the inaugural remarks, Ambassador of India to Kuwait, His Excellency Shri Sibi George highlighting the importance of Yoga said that the Yoga is a product of Indian civilization and is an invaluable gift of ancient India to the world. He further said that Yoga is not a religion; it is a way of life that aims towards a healthy mind in a healthy body. Yoga does not discriminate; all people can practice it, regardless of their strength, age or ability. Yoga has the innate power to connect people and societies. Ambassador also said that Yoga transcends boundaries and brings everyone together and in its true essence is a unifying force.

Ambassador said that the main IDY 2022 event was held at Mysore in Karnataka today morning led by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi.  He quoted Prime Minister’s remarks “Yoga brings peace for us. The peace from Yoga is not merely for individuals. Yoga brings peace to our society. Yoga brings peace to our nations and the world. And Yoga brings peace to our universe”. The celebrations in Kuwait were part of ‘The Guardian Ring’ programme of the Government of India which was a relay Yoga streaming event which captured and weaved together digital feeds of IDY programmes organized by Indian Missions/Embassies abroad. It showcased the IDY celebrations in 75 countries from East to West, with the movement of Sun, covering 16 time zones.  

Embassy had been organizing various events, online and offline, in the run up to the IDY since last two months which included regular Yoga classes and sessions.

During today’s Celebrations, a Yoga Session was held including Natya and Hatha Yoga followed by a session of Common Yoga Protocol, which was telecasted live all over the world and live performance of Kalaripayattu-the ancient martial art form of India.

During the event, Ambassador launched the special edition of Ayush Bulletin. 

On the occasion, Ambassador also inaugurated a Herbal Plants Exhibition, displaying the medicines from Indian Home Gardens and an Ayurveda Exhibition showcasing the daily Indian spices and herbs. 

A Tea Tasting Event, bringing to Kuwait the aroma of Indian Tea-World’s Gold Standard, was also organized.  

The event witnessed enthusiastic response with physical participation of more than 500 people from different walks of life including foreign diplomats, persons from media fraternity, Indian Diaspora and Friends of India in Kuwait. For more details about the event, please visit the website and social media handles of the Embassy.

Remarks by Ambassador Sibi George at the International Day of Yoga celebrations, June 21, 2022

Your Excellencies Ambassadors who have joined us today,
Members of the Indian community who are present physically here and als those who are joining us virtually,
Distinguished guests,
Office Bearers of various Indian associations in Kuwait,
Media Representatives,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Morning to all.

Congratulations to all on the occasion of the 8th International Day of Yoga. Also, Greetings of Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav, 75th anniversary of India’s independence to all. I welcome each one of you to the 8th International Day of Yoga celebrations today.

I would like to begin by thanking His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait, and His Highness Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait, for hosting the large Indian community in Kuwait. I also pay my respect and gratitude to those individuals and organizations who have been working and contributing towards further strengthening the long-standing dynamic partnership between India- Kuwait.
Dear Friends,
I am so happy to be here today addressing this gathering of distinguished guests, Excellencies Ambassadors, Diplomats, Yoga Gurus, Yoga Lovers, Friends of India and all participants at this IDY celebrations 2022. I welcome each one of you. I express my sincere gratitude to the yoga practitioners and enthusiasts, volunteers and association leaders and my colleagues in the Embassy and our many partners who worked hard to organize this memorable event today. It has not been easy. It has not been easy at all. The team worked day and night for several weeks to make this happen today. For over two months almost every day we were organizing various events, online and offline, in the run up to this day. We held regular yoga classes and sessions to prepare ourselves for this morning. Thank you to one and all.
Dear Friends,
Today, Embassy is organizing IDY 2022 to promote our common cultural heritage. Yoga is a refined product of Indian civilization and is an invaluable gift of ancient India to the world. Yoga is already immensely popular all over the world including in our friendly State of Kuwait. Most of you present here today are regular practitioners of yoga. So, I would not like to speak much about Yoga but would like to emphasize that Yoga is not a religion; it is a way of life that aims towards a healthy mind in a healthy body. It does not discriminate; all people can practice, regardless of their strength, age or ability. It is the innate power of Yoga to connect people and societies. It transcends boundaries and brings everyone together. Yoga in its true essence is a unifying force.
No wonder then that the United Nations Organization unanimously adopted 21 June as the International Day of Yoga. On 7 November, 2014 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution to celebrate 21st June, the day of the summer solstice, as International Day of Yoga every year, it was proposed by India and was co-sponsored by an overwhelming 177 countries of the world. The State of Kuwait was one of the co-sponsors. It has been eight years since that day and the spread of Yoga continues unabated all across the globe including in our friendly State of Kuwait.

Dear Friends,

This Year IDY celebrations is special as we are celebrating it in physical mode after a gap of two years, due to the devastating Covid 19 pandemic. The Theme of IDY 2022 is “Yoga for Humanity”. The main event of the IDY 2022 was held at Mysore in Karnataka today morning led by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi ji. In his address today morning Hon’ble Prime Minister said, and I quote: “Yoga brings peace for us. The peace from Yoga is not merely for individuals. Yoga brings peace to our society. Yoga brings peace to our nations and the world. And Yoga brings peace to our universe. This whole universe starts from our own body and soul. The universe starts from us. And, Yoga makes us conscious of everything within us and builds a sense of awareness. Millions of people with inner peace will create an environment of global peace. That is how Yoga can connect the people and countries, and how Yoga can become a problem solver for all of us.” Unquote.
Dear Friends,
Our celebrations here today in Kuwait is part of the “The Guardian Ring" event which is a relay Yoga streaming event capturing and weaving together digital feed of IDY programmes organised by Indian Embassies abroad. It showcases the IDY celebration in 75 countries from east to west, with the movement of the sun, covering 16 time zones.
Along with IDY celebrations here today, here in Kuwait, we are also organizing an Herbal Plants Exhibition and an Ayurveda Exhibition which we will inaugurate immediately after this event. I invite you all to join me at these exhibitions and also for an Indian Tea Tasting event that follows. We have also made arrangements some basic Ayurveda treatment at the premises. We will also be releasing the Special Edition of AYUSH Bulletin with particular emphasis on Yoga. It is a bilingual publication, English and Arabic, which is entirely an in-house effort of the AYUSH Information Cell of the Embassy.
Dear Friends,
I invite you to continue to practice Yoga with us in the Embassy. We will have Yoga sessions every Friday and Saturday throughout the year. I wish the IDY 2022 a great success and wish you all a healthy and happy life. I once again thank you all for joining me today at this IDY 2022 celebrations.
Thank You and Good Morning.

The Ministry of Interior's Criminal Security Sector has sent 18 expatriates to the Deportation Center and added their names to a list of those who are not allowed to enter Kuwait or any of the Gulf countries.

They were apprehended in a residence in Salmiya that was used for gambling.

According to an official statement at the Ministry of Health, the epidemiological indications connected to the Corona virus in the nation are still reassuring, and there is no need for fear.

Despite a rise in the number of cases this month, there have been no fatalities in the nation owing to illness complications since April 3, indicating that the epidemiological situation has remained stable. 

The latest Economic Insight report for the Middle East, commissioned by ICAEW and compiled by Oxford Economics, reveals a positive economic outlook for Kuwait boosted by rising oil prices and increasing oil. This has led to a much higher GDP growth forecast of 7% for 2022, compared with 2.5% in 2021. For the Middle East, the report reveals a positive regional outlook despite a darkening global landscape as market pressures mount and uncertainty heightens. Middle East GDP growth in 2022 is now projected at 5.2%, an increase of 1 percentage point on Oxford Economics’ forecast three months ago.  

According to the report, the scrapping of all Covid-restrictions has supported a strong bounce back in economic activity following a modest retraction in Q1. This has seen the non-oil sector expand 4.7% this year, following growth of 3.1% in 2021, as consumer spending increases and the real estate market remains robust.

The oil sector, which accounts for over half of Kuwait’s GDP, is the main driver of its economic growth, with the sector expected to see year-on-year growth of 11.8%. This is a significant recovery following a 10% decline in 2020 and subdued growth of 0.1% in 2021. Kuwaiti oil output has risen to above 2.6 million barrels per day, as OPEC+ continues to gradually increase production quotas. With Brent Oil forecast to remain over $112 per barrel in 2022 – significantly above Kuwait’s estimated break-even price of $65 – the government is expected to post its first budget surplus since 2014, at 6.2% of GDP.

Oil income has buoyed fiscal performance, allowing the nation to recover from its record budget deficit of KWD10.7 billion posted in 2020. The spike in oil prices has boosted liquidity and allayed pressures to reduce current spending on wages and subsidies, which currently accounts for 90% of total expenditures. Future surpluses will be used to replenish the General Reserve Fund, which has been critical in funding shortfalls in recent years.

 The Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA) is currently working on establishing an international telecommunication access infrastructure by linking with one of the longest underwater cables in the world, reports Al-Qabas daily.

According to informed sources, the cables, which will be implemented through a consortium of companies, will pass through the Gulf countries to South Africa, and then link with the international communication traffic, thus becoming the longest global marine cables. Kuwait is currently connected to two marine cables that link it to international telecommunications traffic.

However, one of the cables is disabled due to frequent interruption and inefficiency as a result of its old infrastructure. The establishment of a new underwater cable would increase the telecommunications traffic to and from the global internet so that local companies can provide Internet services to the public with higher efficiency. The granting of a license to a company to establish a free international communications infrastructure in Kuwait will contribute to increasing the annual revenues of the state.

It will also contribute to strengthening the Internet for local companies by operating additional capacities on the new cable. The sources said, “The sea and land cables will enhance the level of service and prices offered to the public by linking Kuwait to the global Internet, and work on distributing international communications through multiple international gateway. This will reduce the impact of interruptions on the users, and enhance the sustainability of linking Kuwait with the global network”. Regarding the number of land cables, they stated that the country has three land cables currently, indicating that work is underway to establish a fourth land cable that will be completed within six months after creating extensions between the country’s switchboards.

The sources called on the Ministry of Communications to establish parallel lanes for cables linked to the switchboards, explaining that the Umm Al-Hayman, Al- Zour and Al-Nuwaiseeb exchange switchboards are linked by one cable, and in the event of a disconnection, the communications traffic will be affected, especially in light of the construction works on King Fahad bin Abdulaziz Road (Fifth Ring Road).

The Ministry of the Interior (MoI) is currently studying a proposal to prevent all types of visas to about 10 countries, the majority of which are from Africa, including Madagascar, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, Mali and Congo, and 3 other countries outside Africa, reports Al-Qabas daily. Well-informed security sources said this action is largely due to absence of embassies of some of these countries inside Kuwait, despite the presence of their nationals in big numbers estimated in the thousands, which makes the deportation of their citizens following judicial verdicts or in case of violators of residence laws difficult especially in terms of security when the citizens of these countries are arrested for violating public morals and use of narcotics saying the procedures of deportation becomes very complex and time-consuming.

The sources pointed out that what complicates the process of deporting the violators from the nationals of those countries is that some of them deliberately hide, destroy or get rid of their passports, which puts the security services in a state of confusion as there are no embassies in the country which can issue them travel documents to leave the country.