The Embassy of India in Kuwait during an event on Sept 29 at the embassy premises announced the ‘Next Destination Indore’ the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2023 which is scheduled to be held in Indore on January 9, 2023 and a state felicitation event on Madhya Pradesh to promote the 3 Ts engagement in collaboration with Invest India. This event comes on the heels of the Namaste Kuwait, a mega Indian cultural event which showcased some of India’s best dance performances by more than one thousand artistes spanning over 14 hours of over 120 performances.

Ambassador HE Sibi George addressing the invited guests and media
Speaking at the event the Ambassador of India to Kuwait, HE Sibi George signed off the launch of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2023 campaign which is celebrated every year on January 9 to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of India. It also commemorates the return of the greatest Indian pravasi of all times, Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India on Jan 9, 1915. Since 2015, its format has been revised to celebrate PBD once every two years and to hold themebased Pravasi Bhartiya Divas Conferences during the intervening period with participation from overseas Diaspora experts, policymakers, and stakeholders.  

The 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the Indian envoy said, was held during January 21-23 2019 at Varanasi. On January 9, 2023 the Indian diaspora across the globe will come together in Indore, one of the most beautiful cities of India. The theme of PBD 2023 is ‘Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal’. Five plenary sessions on (i) Role of Diaspora Youth in Innovation and New Technologies; (ii) Harnessing the potential of women Diaspora entrepreneurs towards an inclusive approach to nation building; (iii) Goodwill through craft, cuisine and creativity; (iv) Enabling Global Mobility of Indian Workforce – Role of Indian Diaspora: and (v) Trade and Investment. “I am sure,” the ambassador said, “that our talented and experienced Diaspora in Kuwait can contribute immensely in each of these sessions. I invite our Indian community in Kuwait to plan a visit to Indore in January.” During the event, Ms Anchita Kethwas, Second Secretary, Commerce, Investment and Education gave a detailed presentation on Madhya Pradesh, singling out Indore which is ranked as ‘the cleanest city in India’ and the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh presenting a happy blend of historical past and promising rapid future modernization and investment facilities.

The ambassador took this opportunity to thank those “who help us make history, our artistes, our coordinators and volunteers and of course our ICSG team led by Rajpal Tyagi.” He also felicitated some of the coordinators of the Namaste Kuwait event “who helped us make that historic journey in Kuwait.”

 Kuwaiti voters, men and women, will go to the polls Thursday, in five electoral constituencies, to cast their votes and elect members of the National Assembly for the 17th legislative term of 2022. Voters will bear responsibility to reshape the course of the political scene and choose the right candidates that would best serve them and the nation. While being presented with the ballot paper, voters would recall His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s speech, which was delivered on his behalf by His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, stressing on choosing the strong, trustworthy, and faithful in Almighty Allah and then his country, and who puts the interest of Kuwait and its people above all.

Among the 305 candidates running for the National Assembly elections, Kuwaitis will choose 50 members to represent them in Parliament, with 795,920 eligible voters. The voting process, which takes place according to the one-vote system, will start from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. local time, after which heads of the electoral committees will announce the end of the voting process, and beginning of counting followed by the announcement of the official results.

The Kuwait Civil Service Commission (CSC) announced Wednesday that October 9 will be a public holiday on the occasion of the Prophet (PBUH) Birthday. The CSC added in a statement that all government offices and institutions would suspend work on this day.

Bodies with work of special nature will decide their own holiday accordingly, taking public interest into account. Work will resume on Monday, October 10. (KUNA)

The State of Kuwait celebrates Thursday the second anniversary of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s proclamation as the country’s top leader, its guide toward further development and modernization. The occasion coincides with elections for membership in the National Assembly’s 17th legislative term, in line with His Highness the Amir’s visionary guidance calling for revising the political situation for attaining higher national interests.

His Highness the Amir, in a declaration made on his behalf by His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on June 22, announced constitutional dissolution of the National Assembly (parliament) and called for general elections according to constitutional and legal schedules. His Highness the Amir stated, “Our goal behind the constitutional dissolution is a certain and sincere desire to see the people say their word on remedying the political process path anew by sound election of their representatives.”

The declaration was a followup to His Highness the Amir gracious initiative, publicized by the government on November 7, 2021, when His Highness Sheikh Nawaf practiced his constitutional right granting amnesty for a number of citizens. The announcement was designed to bolster cooperation between the executive and legislative authorities and gear up all the potentials for serving the homeland and the citizens

In order to ensure that car rental offices in all governorates of Kuwait comply with the laws and the decisions issued by the Interior and Commerce ministries in order to protect citizens and consumers, a joint committee has been formed by the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The committee said it will conduct intensive joint inspection campaigns to targeting car rental offices on an ongoing basis to achieve its objectives, reports a local Arabic daily.

According to an Arab daily, the High Court recently ruled that theft and beating under the guise of a policeman is far more serious and affecting society than other crimes, since it influences public opinion and destroys confidence in the security forces, which may destabilize security in the country.

During a ruling issued by the Misdemeanors Department, led by Judge Salem Nasr Al Haid, those accused of impersonating detectives were sentenced to two years of hard labor for beating and theft. The court refused to present the defendants’ defense with evidence of the victims’ waiver and reconciliation with them, and their claim that there was no harm done on them after the suspect returned the stolen items to the victims. According to the report, the waiver submitted by the victims is not applied and has consequences according to Articles 109 and 241 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and Trials.

On the other hand, the Eighth Circuit of the Criminal Court, headed by Counselor Fawzan Al-Anjari, issued its ruling yesterday in the case of bringing about 700 bottles of wine by sea on board a famous citizen’s yacht. After the Filipino captain admitted to bringing the contraband alone, the court expelled the owner of the seized yacht early last May and sentenced the expat to 5 years of imprisonment with labor, enforcement, and deportation from the country after he completed the trial. The Kuwaiti captain received one year in prison with labor and enforcement.

Based on recent statistics, Dr. Khaled Al-Saleh, Chairman of the Kuwait Anti-Smoking and Cancer Society and Head of the Society's Cancer Patients Fund, said Kuwait has more than 2,800 cancer patients each year, half of which are expatriates.

At the recent awards ceremony for pioneering social work held in Riyadh under the auspices of the Gulf Cooperation Council's Ministers of Social Affairs, Al-Saleh said families are affected when their breadwinners become sick to the extent that their entire lifestyle changes, and he stressed that families such as these need support.

From monthly assistance to medical assistance to helping specialist doctors develop a treatment plan, the Society's Cancer Patients Fund provides assistance to cancer patients.

As he pointed out, the fund allows cancer patients who have reached the end of their lives to travel to their home countries to spend the remainder of their lives with their families and financially support them until they are ready to return.

Al-Saleh pointed out “in addition to caring for the patient financially and psychologically, there is a special interest in the spiritual aspect, represented in organizing free Umrah trips for cancer patients with their companions, within a delegation that includes specialized medical and administrative teams and added more than 1,500 patients and their families have benefitted from this service.

Kuwait Flour Mills and Bakeries Company will resume the supply of meals for kindergartens as part efforts exerted by the government and private agencies to prepare for the new school year, reports Al-Rai daily. In a statement to the daily, Chief Executive Officer of the company Mutlaq Al-Zayed confirmed the resumption of supplying meals chosen by the Education Ministry for kindergartens after being suspended for two years due to the Corona pandemic.

He said: “We are optimistic that we are returning to normal life, considering the continuous decline in the number of Coronavirus cases. The company is keen on developing its capabilities to provide high-quality meals, especially since the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition has approved our products.”

He clarified that the company supplies meals to kindergartens in four governorates; indicating the others signed contracts with private nutrition companies. He disclosed the company will supply a total of 30,000 meals daily for 132 kindergartens. He added the company previously worked with the ministry in the implementation of the healthy school canteens national project, which was aimed at improving the health of students and to protect them from non-communicable diseases.

The Public Authority for Manpower launched a new service through Asshal app for reporting absenteeism (Absconding) service for expat workers who have entered Kuwait with work permits and have not completed stamping of residency formalities.

The authority stated that there are steps that the employer must follow up and register a complaint which will be recorded in automated service Asshal by choosing submenu Labor relation > Absenteeism Report by choosing “New Request” for registering a report of absence for a worker with work permit.

After pressing the “Next” button, choose the type of “license” and  ”  name of the worker ”   and click  ”  Details ”  , enter the  ”  date ”   of absence and press  ”  submit ”   report. The report will be submitted. After 7 days of submitting the absconding report the work permit will be automatically cancelled.

The US Army Central Command, in partnership with the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense, is organizing a cyber security competition where participants can demonstrate their technical capabilities, reports Al-Jarida daily. In a video recording on the US Embassy website in Kuwait, the Director of Cyberspace at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense, Brigadier General Mohammed Bouarki, said, “In the past 24 months, the world has witnessed cyber attacks that claimed more and more victims, including national facilities and chemical companies around the world.” He added, “For this reason, we are excited to talk about this year’s Best Cyber Warriors competition, and the teams will show their technical abilities through many diverse tasks.”

US General Robert Powell, commanding general of the 335th Signal Unit, said: “In our connected world, both governments want to present and intercept the continuing number of cyber threats, by learning to protect ourselves with the right tools and things to counter these attacks.”

 Dr Youssef Koleilat, an orthopedic consultant at Al-Seef Hospital, warned about the complications of heavy school bags for students, reports Al-Rai daily. In a statement recently to the daily, Koleilat suggested that “the weight of the school bag should not exceed 10 percent of the student’s weight.

Unfortunately, we found out that most students carry bags weighing more than 17 percent of their weight. To determine if your child’s school bag is too heavy for him, you must look at him while carrying the bag.

If he has to bend forward to balance himself, this means the bag is heavy for him.” He added that “a doctor’s visit is necessary if back pain persists and the child’s back is curved.

Although some schools have lockers for the students, most students prefer to keep books in their possession; thereby, increasing the load on their backs.”

With the surge in demand for Police Clearance Certificates (PCCs), the Ministry of External Affairs is adding PCC services to all online Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) across India as of September 28.

A surge in demand for Police Clearance Certificates (PCCs) has led the Ministry to decide to add the ability to apply for PCC services at all online Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) across India starting on Wednesday, 28 September 2022.

By extending the PCC application facility to POPSKs, the Ministry is helping Indian citizens seeking employment abroad, and also meeting the demand for other PCC requirements, including education, long-term visas and emigration.

MEA signed an agreement with Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) earlier this year to carry out the second phase of Passport Seva Program.

The Ministry of External Affairs today signed an agreement for the second phase of the Passport Seva Programme (PSP-V2.0) with M/s. The ministry had announced in a press release that Tata Consultancy Services Limited had been selected as the project's service provider.

Additionally, the PSP-V 2.0 will introduce e-Passports for enhanced customer satisfaction, improved security, and a new level of citizen experience.

The Ministry of Health spokesman Dr. Abdullah Al-Sanad announced the launch of a winter vaccination campaign for the 2022/2023 season through 46 health centers in all governorates, reports Al-Rai daily. Al-Sanad explained the campaign includes vaccination against seasonal influenza and acute bacterial pneumonia (nemococal). He pointed out that vaccination campaign launches at all centers identified by the Ministry on its social media accounts.

However, registration and prior appointment via the Ministry’s website is a must. In the same context, the Head of the Infectious Diseases Control Department in the Public Health Sector at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Hamad Bastaki, stressed on the importance of the initiative to receive vaccination, unless there is any medical impediment, stressing that vaccination reduces the possibility of infection, and in the event of infection limits its complications and reduces hospitalization due to complications.

He indicated that it is recommended that pregnant women receive influenza vaccination (not pneumococcal vaccination) at any time of pregnancy for their protection, noting the importance of influenza vaccination for lactating women, children specifically from the age of 6 months to 5 years, and those with chronic diseases and others to protect themselves from severe complications caused by influenza infection.

Dr. Bastaki also spoke of the possibility of giving any other type of vaccine at any time before or after the fl u or pneumococcal vaccination, unless there is any objection to vaccination, noting that these vaccines can be taken at any time during the winter season. In other news, the Minister of Health, Dr. Khaled Al-Saeed, has canceled the ministerial decision to stop considering applications for granting licenses to open new pharmacies in the private sector and receive applications to grant a license to practice the profession to non- Kuwaitis, reports Al-Rai daily. The President of the Pharmacy Association, Abdullah Al-Enezi, thanked Minister Al-Saeed for his understanding of the pharmacists’ demands and cancelling the earlier decision.

The State Property Department of the Ministry of Finance, has approved the Kuwait Municipality proposal to resell the plots of land in the Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh area by public auction after developing these plots for private housing, investment and commercial activities, reports Al-Qabas daily. The Director of the Ministries Complex Department and the Assistant Undersecretary for Public Services Affairs, State Property Affairs and Legal Assignment Abdul Nasser Al Abdullah said in a letter to the Municipality that the letter of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers on August 25, which includes a request to study the options presented regarding the decision of the Council of Ministers in its meeting held on August 22, 2022 concerning the proposal for the development of the northwest site of Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh area, the resolution stipulates the following:

First: The Council was informed of the memorandum submitted by the Kuwait Municipality regarding the proposal for the development of the northwestern site of the Jleeb Al- Shuyoukh area, and the visual presentation of the project to develop the northwest site overlooking the New Shaddiyah University off Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh.

Second: Assigning the Kuwait Municipality, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of Electricity and Water, and the relevant authorities, to complete the necessary studies and develop a common vision that ensures the treatment of all existing conditions in the Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh area, and tightening security control and regulation in all respects, infrastructure development, and submitting a report to the Council of Ministers within two weeks from its date.

Al-Abdullah added that the results of the study led to a re-planning of the area to be a distinguished upscale neighborhood, where several options were put forward to reinvest in the area as follows:

Involving the private sector as a real estate developer differently from the usual areas, so that the area is divided into five plots close in number of plots, with the number of plots ranging between 306 and 385 plots with new housing styles, in addition to 30 plots of mixed use (commercial, offices, residential) overlooking the southern road, in addition to 8 commercial plots northwest of the site, for use as malls and commercial markets, provided that these companies demolish and remove existing buildings and implement new advanced infrastructure and establish new housing within them, as the rehabilitation of infrastructure will cost the state approximately 150 million Kuwaiti dinars.

The Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) has advised employers to ensure that salaries are transferred to the local banks seven days before the due date, reports Al-Jarida daily. In a press statement, PAM also announced the launching of the salaries follow-up system on ‘Ashal’ platform in October.

Deputy Director General of the Manpower Protection Sector at the authority Dr Fahd Al-Murad explained this is the next step after updating the system to make it easier for employers to monitor salaries, present reasons for not transferring salaries and salary deductions, and follow up requests online.

Al-Murad warned that in case of non-compliance, the erring employer’s file will be closed automatically and the latter will not be allowed to hire new workers. He added the file will be opened automatically once the erring employer addresses the violation.

Meteorological Department has issued an alert about unstable weather, stating northwesterly winds may exceed 60 kilometers per hour, reducing visibility to less than 1,000 meters in some areas, especially open areas.

According to a local Arabic newspaper, the sea will be rough with waves exceeding seven feet high.

Exercise caution when venturing outdoors, according to the authorities.

Some roads in Kuwait came to a standstill, while others were quite busy as students in public schools and universities began their school year. Due to the current circumstances, the Interior Ministry urged road users to be patient and follow traffic laws ‘to the T’ to prevent accidents and mishaps

Meanwhile Kindergarten and elementary school students commenced their educational journey Sunday with spirited determination. The students appeared joyous as they approach the first post pandemic restrictions school year. (KUNA)

 Sixty expats are to be deported as they were caught operating illegal taxi service using their own personal cars. They were caught transporting passengers from and to Kuwait Airport. They were observed by traffic patrols for giving illegal taxi service for arrivals and departures from airports entrances and exits. These instructions came directly from the Director General of the General Traffic Department, Major General Yousef Al-Khadda

Most of the arrested violators were Indian, Bangladeshi and Egyptian expats. They were referred to the deportation center and are being ready to be deported back to their respective countries. Many complaints were received from travelers about cheating and extortion from these vehicle drivers who don’t have a license of a taxi driver.

 The Public Authority for Manpower asked its counterpart in the Arab Republic of Egypt to verify the integrity of the contracts that precede the recruitment process to Kuwait in coordination with the concerned authorities in the country and to abide by Kuwaiti legislation and regulations to limit any violations resulting from non-compliance, which ends with the deportation of violating workers, reports Al- Qabas daily. The acting director general of the authority, Dr. Mubarak Al-Azmi, was speaking on the sidelines of heading the Kuwaiti delegation to the 48th session of the Arab Conference, which concluded recently in Cairo. He said that Kuwait has called on the Egyptian Ministry of Labor to focus on the role of recruitment agencies and the role of government agencies in monitoring their work to ensure the protection of workers’ rights before they travel and to ensure the health and safety of recruitment procedures.

Al-Azmi stated the Kuwaiti delegation stressed, during several meetings it held with labor ministers of Arab countries, the protection guaranteed by Kuwaiti laws for the rights of all workers of different nationalities, focusing on the importance of the role played by labor-sending countries in monitoring recruitment agencies and adhering to recruitment requirements. Al-Azmi denied that the Kuwaiti delegation had told the media in Egypt or other labor delegations participating in the conference about the intention to activate an electronic link with Egypt or other countries regarding the mechanism of recruitment of workers, stressing that there are local laws and regulations in force that regulate the process of issuing work permits, pointing out the delegation is committed to authorizing such events through official channels approved by the state.

Fitch Solutions expects Kuwait to speed up its imports of medicines to ensure that they can be obtained on a regular basis, noting that the country’s pharmaceutical market depends almost entirely on imports, and the Ministry of Health has recently increased its imports of medicines and necessary medical supplies, due to the shortage which the country encountered recently, reports Al-Qabas daily.

A report by Fitch said cancer drugs constitute the most prominent category of products that Kuwait intends to import, as several local reports recently revealed treatment delays of up to two months, forcing many patients to travel to neighboring countries to receive treatment. The report stated that the Ministry of Health obtained, earlier this month, approvals to spend 6.6 million dinars on medicines for cancer, diabetes and respiratory diseases, as these imports constitute part of health care investments by the ministry in the wake of the outbreak of the corona pandemic.

Increase
The agency’s report expected an increase in medicine imports to Kuwait until 2026 at an annual rate of 3.6% in the local currency, to reach about 597 million dinars ($1.8 billion), knowing that economic coordination between the Gulf countries may enhance the local production of medicines, but not in a way that meets the increasing demand until 2026.

However, a combination of geopolitical factors and reasons related to the pharmaceutical industries will continue to constitute an obstacle to the strong growth of the pharmaceutical sector in Kuwait, although our expectations show that spending on medicines in the country may achieve a moderate annual growth rate of 3.6% over the next 10 years.

Fitch Solutions suggested that the pharmaceutical market will continue to be in turmoil in Kuwait due to geopolitical variables and variables related to the industry itself, explaining that most companies seeking to import and export medicines will face different challenges. The agency went on to say, the export of goods from Kuwait abroad takes a long time and is financially costly due to strict border procedures, and the geographical location of Kuwait contributes to the difficulty of supply chains reaching global shipping lines. In addition, to the high levels of corruption in the country increase the operating costs and legal risks for many companies that intend to establish commercial lines with Kuwait.

The Fitch Solutions report confirmed that the pharmaceutical industry in Kuwait faces several regulatory and bureaucratic obstacles, delays in payments, as well as regulatory changes related to pharmacies, noting cases of mismanagement and corruption in the sector, including inappropriate storage of medicines and expired and damaged products.