Kuwait Times - 24/4/2006

The Ministerial Council held its weekly meeting yesterday at Seif Palace, chaired by HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. After the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Mohammad Daifallah Sharar said the council was informed about a letter received by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah from Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in which he congratulated the Amir for leaving hospital after periodical checkups.
The council was also informed about letters received from Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov, Indian President Abdul Kalam and Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov, which touched on bilateral relations and the means of reinforcing them.
The council also previewed the agenda of a work team assigned to create a list of economic priorities, previewed the topics studied by representatives of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which included income tax, partnership between the public and private sectors (PPP), the BOT system, and issues hindering the private sector. The Ministerial Council assigned the Ministerial Committee for Economic Affairs to submit its recommendations on implementing income tax law.
The council also previewed a report by the Public Authority for Assessment of Compensations for Damages Resulting from Iraqi Aggression (PAAC) on the authority's recommendation to deal with the rehabilitations projects for the environment in Kuwait, and defining the national party that will supervise the project and establish contacts with the UN Compensations Commission regarding this matter.
The council also agreed on establishing a central authority led by PAAC and represents the oil sector, Public Authority for Environment, Foreign Ministry, and Ministry of Finance, to supervise the execution of the rehabilitation projects.
The council previewed the PAAC report on the details of the losses and the procedures of recording and documenting them in order to receive compensations for the losses in execution of the Security Council's resolutions, praising the efforts of the PAAC in preparing and verifying the compensation claims.
The council approved a draft law to transfer the tourism sector and the Administration of Intellectual Proprietary Affairs from the Information Ministry to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
It previewed a report provided by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs on a draft memorandum of understanding on cooperation with Saudi Arabia, and decided in principle to sign the memorandum.
The Minister of Finance Bader Al-Humaidhi previewed the procedures of the Ministry of Finance on facilitating the procedures of executing the budget and reducing its restrains without affecting the monitoring process and preserving public property, urging all government authorities to cooperate with the ministry.
The council previewed the Ministry of Finance report that included a memo from the Central Bank of Kuwait on the Moodys International Institute's rating of Kuwait's credit in order to improve its futuristic vision, noting that Kuwait received a rating of A2 from a stable vision to a positive vision in February 2006, which is considered a step to toward increasing the rating in the medium run.
The report discussed reasons behind the improvement in four angles on total economic performance, political and social developments, general financial developments and sovereign debt, and the degree of effects on the Kuwaiti economy by foreign factors.
The council asserted the importance of doubling the efforts to create a developed, balanced, and stable economy.
The council previewed a report by the Ministry of Planning on the accomplishments of the consultation organisations selection committee during the first quarter of 2006. The council was briefed by Minister of Planning and State for Administrative Development Affairs Maasouma Al-Mubarak on designing buildings and services projects.
The Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Abdallah Al-Muhailbi previewed a report on the procedures of the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fishery Resources to stop the drilling of illegal wells by farm owners in Wafra, which led to increasing the levels of underground water.
The council urged the authority and other concerned authorities to increase monitoring of such activities in a way that puts an end to it.
The council discussed the affairs of the National Assembly and previewed the questions and recommendations by some assembly members and topics included in its agenda.