Consumer forums, law universities, lawyers, FICCI, CII, and consumer rights activists participated in the meeting
The government on Saturday said it will develop a framework to keep a check on fake reviews posted on e-commerce websites to protect consumer interest.
The consumer affairs ministry along with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) held a virtual meeting on Friday with stakeholders, including e-commerce entities, to discuss the magnitude of fake reviews on their platforms.
Fake reviews mislead consumers into buying online products and services.
According to an official statement, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) will develop these frameworks after studying the present mechanism being followed by the e-commerce entities in India and best practices available globally.
Consumer forums, law universities, lawyers, FICCI, CII, and consumer rights activists, among others, participated in the meeting to discuss the magnitude of the problem and roadmap ahead for fake reviews on websites.
Since e-commerce involves a virtual shopping experience without any opportunity to physically view or examine the product, consumers heavily rely on reviews posted on platforms to see the opinion and experience of users who have already purchased the good or service.
"Traceability by ensuring the authenticity of the reviewer and the associated liability of the platform are the two key issues here. Also, e-commerce players must disclose how they choose the 'most relevant reviews' for display in a fair and transparent manner," Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said.
All stakeholders agreed that the issue deserves to be monitored closely and appropriate framework governing the fake reviews should be developed for protection of consumer interest, the statement said.
Stakeholders from e-commerce companies claimed they have frameworks in place by which they monitor fake reviews and would be pleased to take part in developing a legal framework on the issue, it added.
Nidhi Khare, additional secretary and Anupam Mishra, joint secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs also attended the meeting.
Manisha Kapoor, CEO, ASCI highlighted the categories of fake and misleading reviews and their impact on consumer interest.
The issues discussed in the meeting included how paid reviews, unverifiable reviews, and the absence of disclosure in case of incentivised reviews make it challenging for consumers to recognise genuine reviews.
*************************************
Long lines at petrol stations can be found all around the country due to a labour shortage. According to sources, the decrease of up to 50% of staff at petrol station outlets forced certain pumps to lower the number of pumps running in their stations, resulting in long lines at gas stations.
According to Abdul-Hussain Al-Sultan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the "Ola" Fuel Marketing Company, they have been unable to recruit workers from outside Kuwait since the Corona crisis, and have been forced to rely on local labour. Local labourers, on the other hand, are not qualified or trained to work in this field. According to insiders, gas stations are looking for alternatives to the long lines, such as boosting self-service pumps.
*************************************
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cancer Awareness National (CAN) Campaign Dr. Khaled Al-Saleh announced the organization of four new training courses for the nursing staff at the Health Ministry, during the period from May 24 to June 14, in cooperation with the Nursing Services Department at the Ministry of Health.
Nursing staff play a key role in providing healthcare since they implement and apply the prescriptions of doctors, so they form the basis for the delivery of care. According to a local Arabic media, people need to pay attention to their health culture as it pertains to cancerous diseases.
Al-Saleh stated 2,170 male and female nurses were trained till the end of last February, stressing that the courses are part of the approach CAN continues to take to achieve its goal of raising awareness of cancer, part of which involves the creation of specialized training courses for nurses.
In its training program, the "CAN" campaign utilizes specialists who have extensive experience in this area, he explained. The training program focuses on helping nurses develop their communication expertise with patients and their families, in particular cancer patients.
There is an integrated program that the oncologists will be presenting to the trainees, which includes treatment, diagnosis, prevention, early detection, and cure methods for various forms of cancer.
Al-Saleh explained that the interest in nursing training stems from their closeness to patients, families, and doctors, as well as the fact that the training they receive on correct information on cancerous diseases prepares them to answer any questions in a sound scientific way.
*************************************
Kuwait has taken several ministerial decisions and circulars to improve the working conditions of migrants and domestic workers alike.
A Kuwaiti Arabic daily reports that the Kuwait Society for Human Rights has confirmed this, as it has tracked the development Kuwait had made during the first four months of this year.
This report, which was prepared in cooperation with the European Union Mission in Kuwait and the American Middle East Partnership Initiative, praises what has been achieved during the last four months.
There was an improvement in the working conditions of domestic workers following Ministerial Resolution No. 2022 of April 2017 regarding the decree placing an annual paid leave of at least one month upon completion of various assessments followed by the ability to transfer to another employer and an increase in overtime hours to two per day.
The report detailed the various decisions and circulars issued, beginning with the Public Authority for Manpower issuing work permits to sixty-year-olds who have a high school diploma or less, then passing through the issue of a circular to organize the procedures of labor recruitment offices and companies, and extending the validity of visas to within 3 months.
A new service, offering payments and printing of electronic entry visas for civil work, has been launched by the Public Authority for Manpower and the Ministry of Interior, as well as a circular on (requests for final cancellations of travel, cancellations and transfers outside the sector), and a new service through the Sahel application to facilitate government transactions.
The following eight areas have seen development
1 – Confirmation of at least one month of annual paid leave
2 – Possibility of switching employers
3 – Increasing the pay for overtime to a half-day wage with a limit of two hours
4 – Authorization of work permits for expatriates 60 and older who are not graduates
5 – Establishing some procedures that employers must follow when hiring domestic workers
6 – Return to work with a three-month validity period for entry visas.
7 – The ability to pay and print entry visas electronically.
8 – Request information regarding the labor complaint session through Sahel.
Six recommendations
1 – Providing psychological counseling and rehabilitation services to domestic workers
2 – Translation services for domestic workers wishing to make complaints to labor departments
3 – Training for labor relations workers
4 – Protect domestic workers filing complaints as much as possible
5 – Eliminating sponsorship and establishing an alternative
6 – Investigating human trafficking complaints appropriately
Complaints in eight categories
1 – Failure to carry identification
2 – Intention of leaving Kuwait
3 – Recovering passports
4 – Cancelling and transferring your residence
5 – Financial obligations
6 – Late salary payments.
7 – Extending your stay.
8 – Health problems.
*************************************
Kuwait's Ministry of Oil said Tuesday that construction on the world's largest international petroleum research centre will begin at the end of this year.
According to the ministry's Twitter account, the centre will be constructed in Ahmadi city and would have 28 laboratories. The production and refining of heavy oil, the development and production of non-associated gas, the improvement of production methods, and the enhancement of refining capabilities on both the local and global levels are among the technological solutions that the centre will provide, according to a local Arabic daily.
*************************************
Qatar Airways signed a deal on Thursday with Kuwait Airways to fly football fans from and to Qatar during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
In a press release issued today, KAC's Board Chairman Ali Al-Dakhan announced that the airline will begin operating 20 flights a day on November 21.
He noted that the state of Qatar would offer daily direct flights so that football fans could enjoy the much-anticipated event around the clock.
Kahn Razouqi, CEO of KAC, said the flight arrives in Qatar five hours before the match and leaves the same day.
In addition, only fans with a KAC return ticket and the Fan IDwill be allowed to book tickets on KAC flights, he added.
*************************************
In order to give the government time to ban Netflix in Kuwait, the Administrative Court adjourned the case until June 8. Specifically, the claimant argues that the content provided by the subscription service goes against Kuwaiti society, traditions, and customs.
According to the government's defense, the case should be rejected.
Netflix's Arabic broadcast of "Perfect Strangers," which sparks a wave of disapproval in Kuwait because of its controversial content, is at the center of a legal dispute between a lawyer and the court. Abdulaziz Al-Subaie contacted the court to object to the broadcast.
*************************************
The Ministry of Commerce and Industries issued a decision to amend the distribution of frozen chicken through ration cards. From 1st of June instead of 2 kgs it will be 3 kgs per person.
The decision comes as a part to confront the rise of poultry prices in the market which is affected by the global increase in food prices, reports Al Rai. Continued flow of poultry products to Kuwaiti citizens without additional cost will continue which is within the budget of food subsidies and MOCI will bear the difference in cost.
Al-Shariaan stated that the government will make sure that the Kuwaiti citizens are not affected and all basic commodities will be available in Kuwaiti houses at subsidized rates. Kuwait government always stocks basic food commodities.
Kuwaiti citizens and expats are informed not to heed to rumors and get into panic mode of buying food commodities. Buy only how much is needed in order to avoid wasting foodstuff. Relevant agencies play their role to ensure uninterrupted supply of commodities.
Sahel app
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry declared that the service of notifications for the disbursement of food supplies is now available on the Sahel app, through which notifications will be sent to the account of the beneficiary of the ration card, which would be the head of the family. In a press statement, the ministry explained that the notification will be sent after each disbursement of food supplies. An invoice will then be issued, and a notification will be sent on the quantities disbursed and the name of the recipient.
The phone number of the head of the family must be updated in the ration card system such that it should be the same number registered in the Sahel app in order to benefit from this service. This service is available from the services of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in the government’s Sahel application. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a citation against a cooperative society for renting four shops with investment contracts, as the owners of those shops misused them to sell counterfeit goods, and the inspection teams of the Ministry of Commerce were on the lookout for them.
*************************************
Kuwait Public Authority of Manpower (PAM) will start implementing the administrative decision number 535/2015 to prohibit laborers from working in open areas during noon from 11:00 a.m. till 4:00 p.m. starting from next June. PAM inspecting teams will follow up the implementation of this decision for the upcoming three months, and will carry out sudden inspecting tours at the work fields to spot any violations, the Authority Director General Ahmad Al- Mousa added in a press release.
This decision aims at organizing the work and not at decreasing the working hours, he added. This decision will force business owners to guarantee the health and safety of all workers at the work fields, and will oblige them to abide by the international work regulations, and its organizing subsidiary laws, he said. Any violations will result in financial fines ranging between 100 to 200 KD per worker, paid by the business owners. (KUNA)
*************************************
While the World Health Organization claims that it is possible to control the monkeypox outbreak and prevent the spread of infection between humans, particularly in countries where it has not yet spread, the Ministry of Health is doing everything it can to boost its preparedness, despite its announcement that it is free of any illness. According to health sources, the Ministry of Health will purchase 5,000 doses of the vaccine to augment the stockpile.
Dr. Abdel Nasser Abu Bakr, the head of the infection risk team at the World Health Organization's Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, stated earlier that monkeypox does not indicate a new epidemic, as it did during the Corona epidemic.
In addition, he noted that monkeypox is not related to Corona, and that it is a disease that is well understood by doctors, for which treatments, vaccines, and prevention are readily available.
After these precautionary measures, the Ministry of Health issued technical guidelines for health facilities to follow in relation to monkeypox cases, suspected cases, potential cases, confirmed cases, and contact cases, as well as the reporting procedure for previous cases.
Infections should be reported using this mechanism
1 – On the "occurrence of an infectious disease" notification form, the attending physician immediately makes the necessary telephone and written reports to the nearest prevention center, indicating the clinical diagnosis of the case (suspected/probable/confirmed of monkeypox) in the clinical diagnosis field, and sending it to the prevention center..
2 – The head of public health services in the health district shall be notified by the preventive health physician in the hospital or the preventive center.
3 – The head of public health in the region contacts the liaison officer of the Infectious Diseases Control Department via telephone to notify them of the occurrence of an infectious disease.
4 – The preventive health doctor completes an investigation form for the case at the hospital or prevention center, follows up on lab results, and sends it to Infectious Diseases Control.
5 – If the infection is confirmed, the prevention center associated with the case's residence is notified to take the precautions customary for its contacts.
6 – The Public Health Department Director receives a weekly report from the Infectious Diseases Control Department with information on new cases, their data, and the global epidemiological situation.
Suspect cases to be dealt with
As a preventive doctor in the hospital, the practicing doctor performs the following steps if the treating doctor needs to book the case to be seen in the hospital:
Follow the case investigation form's instructions for preventing infection in isolation rooms while emphasizing isolation of the case.
When complete laboratory results are available, follow up on the case as a confirmed case will be handled in accordance with the guidelines for confirmed cases.
A preventive physician in the hospital fills out the investigation form on the case in the event that the treating physician does not need to book it in the hospital, and teaches the patient what it means to stay at home and keep from mixing with others during the treatment period prescribed by the treating physician, as well as follow the instructions for preventing infection during treatment.
The Ministry of Health has published guidelines for dealing with monkeypox cases.If the infection is confirmed by laboratory testing, it will be dealt with in accordance with the mechanism for dealing with confirmed cases.
*************************************
A statement released by the General Dept. of Security Relations and Media at the Ministry of Interior urged all participants to follow the laws governing the organizing of rallies and gatherings.
A violation of the law and punishment is imposed for participating in gatherings or rallies without securing a license from the relevant authorities.
As referred to on social media sites, the administration has clarified that there is no permission from the Ministry of Interior for the gathering referred to as "a protest pause." The administration urges everyone to follow the laws governing this matter.
*************************************
Twenty electronic media websites have been referred to the Public Prosecution for violating the law by the Ministry of Information.
86 unlicensed electronic media services had previously been put under surveillance, according to a local Arabic newspaper, and many have received legal notices.
The same sources said the Electronic Publishing Department counted about 140 services and electronic media outlets were issued licenses, but not all them practice the activity or stopped for a period of 6 months and the Ministry will withdraw their licenses in implementation of the law regulating electronic media.
Article 16 of the law grants the ministry the right to terminate the license if the licensee fails to practice the activity within 6 months after receiving it, or in the event that the license is not renewed within 6 months after it has expired.
The source explained that the ministry makes sure that unlicensed news accounts are controlled by contacting the concerned agencies to determine their location, whether they are inside or outside Kuwait, stating that operations that originate from within the country must be reported to the prosecution for necessary action to be taken.
Sources confirm that inactive accounts will have their licenses canceled because the Ministry has not received any response from account holders who have not practiced their activity within six months of the license issuance.
After pointing out that the law will apply to all electronic media services, whether licensed or unlicensed, the source concluded that the ministry will refer all electronic media services that violate the law regulating electronic media to the Public Prosecution.
*************************************
The interior and defence committee of the National Assembly is set to vote on important amendments to the country's residence law on Thursday, including granting investors a 15-year residency for the first time.
The revisions also call for Kuwaiti women who are not naturalized citizens to be able to sponsor their children and foreign husbands for a 10-year residency.
The new rules also make it possible for foreign widows and divorcees of Kuwaiti husbands with children to apply for permanent residency without the need for a sponsor. Residency can be given for up to ten years to children of Kuwaiti women and foreigners who possess real estate in the country.
According to the revisions, foreign government employees are not able to receive a residence permit in the private sector unless their prior government employers accept the transfer.
The government-sponsored reforms give the interior minister the power to deport ex-pats with legal residency permits for security or public interest reasons, or if they don't have a genuine source of income. Their sponsored family members may be deported as well.
*************************************
An advisor in the food industries Muhammad Al-Fureih revealed a poultry crisis is looming on the horizon after the rise in feed prices globally in light of the lack of government support for production companies, reports Al-Rai daily. He warned of the repercussions of the global conditions on the local situation. Al-Fraih stressed that the government should either offer subsidies to poultry and meat producers to face those conditions, or allow them to raise prices to cover its losses, adding, “Otherwise the current conditions will cause some companies to cease production, and the negative effects of this halt will be on food security”.
He went on to say, “The number of poultry and egg production companies in Kuwait is about 25, including six major companies in this field. Collectively, they produce 35,000 tons of frozen, fresh and live chicken annually, covering 30 percent of the local market’s needs. We also have self-sufficiency in eggs”. Al-Fraih stressed that local companies have the ability to increase production whenever government support is available to them. He explained that, “The Saudi National Company, for example, produces 1.150 million chickens and 30 million eggs per day, thanks to the unlimited government support for it and for all types of feed, at a rate of 75 percent, in contrast to the Kuwaiti government support, which only covers corn and does not reach other feeds such as soy, vitamins, salts and others.
*************************************
Sri Lanka is near bankruptcy and has severe shortages of essentials from food, fuel, medicines and cooking gas to toilet paper and matchsticks
The World Bank has ruled out bridge financing or new loan commitments to crisis-hit Sri Lanka until the island nation’s economy sets up an adequate macroeconomic policy framework, the global lender has said.
The statement by the World Bank came on May 24 following reports that the Washington-based institution was planning to support Sri Lanka to overcome the financial crisis in the form of a bridge loan or new loan commitments.
However, the Bank has said that they are reshuffling the already allocated resources to provide essential medicines and other cash assistance to the vulnerable.
“Recent media reports have inaccurately stated that the World Bank is planning support for Sri Lanka in the form of a bridge loan or new loan commitments, among other incorrect assertions,” the Bank said in a statement.
“We are concerned for the people of Sri Lanka and are working in coordination with the IMF and other development partners in advising on appropriate policies to restore economic stability and broad-based growth. Until an adequate macroeconomic policy framework is in place, the World Bank does not plan to offer new financing to Sri Lanka,” it said.
It expressed hope that Sri Lanka is making continuous efforts towards economic stability.
“We are currently repurposing resources from previously approved projects to help the government with some essential medicines, temporary cash transfers for poor and vulnerable households, school meals for children of vulnerable families, and support for farmers and small businesses,” the statement said.
Sri Lanka is near bankruptcy and has severe shortages of essentials from food, fuel, medicines and cooking gas to toilet paper and matchsticks. For months, people have been forced to stay in long lines to buy the limited stocks.
Sri Lanka has suspended repayment of about $7 billion in foreign loans due this year out of $25 billion to be repaid by 2026. The country's total foreign debt is $51 billion.
Sri Lanka in the midst of its worst economic crisis has started a negotiating program with the IMF.
The island however is in need of $4-5 billion bridging finance to arrest the crisis where shortages of essentials had led to street rioting.
Sri Lanka’s economic crisis has created political unrest with a protest occupying the entrance to the president's office demanding his resignation continuing for the past 40 days. The crisis has already forced former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the elder brother of the president, to resign on May 9.
*************************************
In a proposal submitted by MP Osama Al-Manawer, residents would have to pay off all fines before leaving the country.
The MP requested to add a provision to the residence law stating that the residents should pay everything they owe to the government prior to leaving the country through any border crossing, such as fees for services, financial fines, and traffic violations fines.
Among the people excluded from this proposal are residents of GCC countries, diplomats from embassies, and Kuwaiti nationals.
Depending on the public interest of the country, other categories may be excluded, he said in his proposal.
*************************************
More than 100 cases of monkeypox, a viral virus more frequent in the west and central Africa, have been confirmed in Europe, with German officials calling it the region's greatest epidemic ever.
In nations such as the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, France, the United States, and Australia, cases have now been verified.
The illness, which was first discovered in monkeys, spreads by intimate contact and has only rarely travelled outside of Africa, so this cluster of cases has caused alarm.
However, because the virus does not spread as quickly as SARS-COV-2, experts do not expect the epidemic to turn into a pandemic like COVID-19.
Monkeypox is often a minor viral infection characterized by fever and a unique bumpy rash.
"With numerous confirmed cases in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal, this is the greatest and most extensive outbreak of monkeypox ever seen in Europe," Germany's armed forces medical staff said on Friday, after the country's first case was discovered.
The outbreak was defined as an epidemic by Fabian Leendertz of the Robert Koch Institute.
"However, this outbreak is unlikely to endure for long." "Contact tracing can help isolate the instances, and there are also medications and vaccinations that can be administered if necessary," he added.
Although there is no particular vaccination for monkeypox, research suggests that vaccines used to eradicate smallpox are up to 85% effective against monkeypox, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
On Thursday, British officials said that certain healthcare professionals and others who may have been exposed to monkeypox had been provided with smallpox vaccination.
UNIQUE CASES
Monkeypox incidences have been documented in 11 African countries since 1970. Nigeria has been experiencing a significant epidemic since 2017; according to the WHO, there have been 46 suspected cases this year, with 15 confirmed.
On May 7, the first European case was verified in a person who had returned to England from Nigeria.
According to a tracker maintained by a University of Oxford scholar, more than 100 cases have been confirmed outside of Africa since then.
*************************************
A follow-up service (case progress) will be launched starting today, Thursday, by the General Department of Information Systems, which will be integrated with the General Department of Investigations. Case progress inquiries will be posted on the ministry's website, www.moi.gov.kw.
As stated in a press release from the Ministry's Public Relations and Security Media Department today, the new service fits into the security establishment's strategy of advancing the performance of services, improving accuracy, and enhancing citizen and resident services, as well as complementing what has already been accomplished through the mechanization of services.
The ministry explained that in order to access this application, users must enter the Ministry of Interior reference 9 digits number, the nationality number (for Kuwaitis) or the residence number (for residents) in the appropriate areas, as well as enter their residence number in them.
*************************************
Read more: Another dusty weekend; ‘severe duststorm’ on Monday in Kuwait
Minister of Commerce and Industry, Fahd Al-Shrai’an, said everything in Kuwait is available for privatization, and the role of the government should be limited to regulation only, and all matters should be left in the hands of the private sector, reports Al-Rai daily. In a speech, he delivered during the second economic forum, said “privatization is the main goal that helps us diversify the state’s income and not depend on fluctuations in oil prices, and we hope that there will be a contribution from the private sector, as it is the ideal solution to increase income and diversify its sources in the state.” He stated the economic reform programs are not without initiatives to allocate a number of sectors and public services to the state in line with the laws in force.
Therefore, these programs are extremely important to enhance competition and provide the best for the country and citizens, thus reducing the burden on the state treasury and at the same time create new job opportunities. He pointed out achieving the state’s vision of encouraging investment and transforming Kuwait into a regional commercial financial center requires a number of steps and legislation that are in line with international requirements, based on the roles required in the future by public and private sector institutions in order to achieve the sustainability of the economy and the application of standards of transparency and good governance that establish the principles of justice and equality.
*************************************
