Kuwait: Minister Takes Firm Action Against Academic Fraud

Arab Times, 25 July 2024: In line with the directives of the Amir to combat corruption and promote national progress, the Education Minister and Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister has taken decisive steps to address academic fraud.

The minister has announced the approval of recommendations from the investigation committee within the Higher Education Ministry, resulting in the referral of several post-secondary school certificates to the Public Prosecution.

This second batch of referrals involves documents that were found to be falsified, with altered data to secure certificate equivalency.

The minister has emphasised that this action is part of a series of measures by the ministry to enforce the law and uphold the integrity of education.

They have revealed that additional groups will be referred to the Public Prosecution in the near future as the ministry continues to take all necessary steps to protect the reputation and status of education in the country.

The minister has reiterated the commitment to ongoing reform and the fight against corruption, stating that efforts to address forged academic certificates will be rigorous and unwavering.

They have also assured that there will be no leniency or exceptions for those involved in academic fraud, as addressing this issue is seen as both a national and religious duty, as well as a security mission.

The minister has stressed the importance of creating a transparent and just environment that provides equal opportunities for all and strengthens trust in national institutions.

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Kuwait: New Measures to Protect Women’s Rights and Family Welfare Announced

Arab Times, 24 July 2024: The Acting Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs has announced that the Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Ministry, through its Iftaa Department, has legally approved a significant new proposal.

The proposal, which requires a woman’s consent through fingerprinting before completing her marriage contract, has been endorsed and is now awaiting implementation by the Justice Ministry.

The Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Ministry has confirmed the approval, and details on the mechanism for its enactment will be released by the Ministry.

The Acting Secretary-General has highlighted that this measure is in response to international demands from organisations on women’s affairs.

She has explained that the council is also working on a gender balance guide aimed at increasing women’s representation in leadership roles and decision-making positions.

Additionally, a family protection guide is being developed to detail the health, psychological, social, housing, and legal services available to victims of violence, ensuring these resources are easily accessible.

The council has formed a national team to improve the country’s international rankings on women’s indicators.

This includes training courses with relevant authorities and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) to prepare a national strategy on women, security, and peace.

Coordination with the Foreign Affairs Ministry is ongoing to update the family strategy, develop a specific women’s strategy, and unify data on domestic violence.

The council is also reviewing existing laws and legislation related to women, children, and families, with a view to proposing necessary amendments.

In addition to these initiatives, the Acting Secretary-General has announced plans to raise awareness about the impact of violence through seminars and discussion groups in collaboration with relevant authorities.

A volunteer team, tentatively named “Friends of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs,” is being proposed to improve community volunteer efforts.

The council is preparing a calendar of international women’s days to boost activities during these periods and is establishing a mechanism to develop women’s skills, particularly in cooperative and municipal work.

A hotline for reporting domestic violence and a separate line for family consultations have been set up.

A policy guide for the Centre for the Protection of Abused Women is also in progress to ensure the confidential and systematic handling of cases.

Two protection centres have already been opened in different governorates, with plans for a third centre underway.

The Acting Secretary-General reaffirmed the council’s commitment to its mandates under Kuwait Decree No. 401/2006 and the 2019 organisational structure.

The council is dedicated to upholding local laws and international conventions that protect family integrity, focusing on strengthening family ties, preserving unity, and improving social security and stability.

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Kuwait: Transfer from Domestic Visa To Private Sector Is Open

Arab Times, 14 July 2024: The Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) has begun accepting requests from domestic workers to transfer their residencies from Article 20 to Article 18 of Kuwait Ministerial Decision No. 22/2022 for a period of two months, starting from 14 July 2024.

The Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) has issued a decision to allow domestic workers to transfer their residency from Article 20 of Kuwait Ministerial Decision No. 22/202 to a private sector work residency under Article 18 of Kuwait Ministerial Decision No. 22/2022.

The decision sets three conditions for approving the residency transfer.

First, the employer’s in-person attendance is required.

Second, the Interior Ministry’s General Department for Residency Affairs must approve the transfer after verifying the sponsor’s consent.

Additionally, the applicant must submit documents proving their residence in Kuwait for at least one year.

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Kuwait: Municipality Enforces Building Code Compliance

Arab Times, 4 July 2024: The Kuwait municipality has issued a directive requiring property owners to address any building code violations on their premises.

This move comes after 116 warnings were issued for non-compliance with building regulations.

Property owners are expected to promptly rectify these violations to ensure compliance to the established building standards.

The council will continue to monitor and enforce regulations to maintain the safety and integrity of the community.

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Kuwait: Allows Ministry Transfers With Specialised Certifications

Arab Times, 26 June 2024: The Civil Service Commission has upheld Kuwait Ministerial Decree No. 10/2013 for the 12th consecutive year, reaffirming its longstanding policy of prohibiting the transfer of employees between ministries.

An exception has been introduced allowing employees with specialised certifications to move between ministries.

Under this exception, employees currently serving in any ministry will now have the opportunity to transfer if they acquire specialised certificates relevant to another ministry’s needs.

For instance, an employee working in the Transportation Ministry who obtains a bachelor’s degree in nursing can seek a transfer to the Health Ministry.

Additionally, an employee from the Commerce Ministry with a bachelor’s degree from the College of Education or the College of Basic Education will now be eligible to transfer to the Education Ministry.

This decision marks a significant departure from the general prohibition outlined in Kuwait Ministerial Decree No. 10/2013.

They have clarified that this exception has been extended to accommodate residents of Al-Wafra, Al-Khiran, and Sabah Al-Ahmad, allowing them to work within a government agency located in these specific areas.

This move by the Civil Service Commission aims to use the deployment of human resources across ministries while aligning with the evolving educational and professional qualifications of government employees.

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Kuwait: To Ban Unapproved Gas Cylinder Regulators

Arab Times, 25 June 2024: The General Fire Force has announced an agreement with the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company to ban the import and distribution of unapproved liquefied gas cylinder regulators and their extensions.

This move aims to improve safety standards and protect public welfare.

The Fire Department has stated that the agreement was reached between its acting head, and the Executive Vice President of Fleet Operations at the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company.

The ban specifically targets liquefied petroleum gas cylinder regulators and extensions that do not meet the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company’s specifications.

This decision will be implemented in coordination with the General Administration of Customs to ensure strict enforcement.

Additionally, both parties have agreed to launch joint media awareness campaigns to educate the public about the dangers of using counterfeit gas accessories.

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Kuwait: Banks Given Access to Public Employees’ Data

Alari, 13 June 2024: Kuwaiti banks have signed a cooperation agreement with the Civil Service Commission stating that they would be allowed access to the data vault of employees in government agencies.

Under this agreement, banks will be authorised to obtain relevant financial information, including salary certificates with detailed income records, from employees seeking loans, which will aid in making informed lending decisions.

Extracting employee data from the official ‘Civil Service’ website will require prior written consent from the client, granting the bank access to the information while complying to strict confidentiality protocols for safeguarding employee data.

The banks have conducted a study on this matter and determined that direct access to the salary data of employees in government agencies would offer several benefits.

It will facilitate the process of obtaining salary certificates, thereby reducing the administrative burden and simplifying the routine procedures for both banks and government agencies.

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Kuwait: Capital Markets Authority Issues Disciplinary Decisions Against Companies and Individuals

Mubasher, 11 June 2024: The Kuwait Capital Markets Authority has imposed nine disciplinary actions on individuals and companies.

According to the Authority, the first disciplinary Kuwait Capital Markets Authority Decision No. 84/2023 imposed a financial penalty on Capital Holding Company for violating disclosure and transparency rules.

The decision has fined Capital Holding Company 10,000 Kuwaiti dinars for two related violations.

As for the second violation, it relates to the issuance of Kuwait Capital Markets Authority Decision No. 84/2023 imposing a financial penalty on the Gulf Petroleum Investment Company for violating listing rules.

The company Gulf Petroleum Investment Company was fined 1,000 Kuwaiti dinars for a violation.

Regarding the third violation, Kuwait Capital Markets Authority Decision No. 85/2023 was issued, imposing a financial penalty on Agility Public Warehousing Company for violating listing rules.

The Authority has fined Agility Public Warehousing Company 3,000 Kuwaiti dinars for a violation.

For the fourth violation, the Kuwait Capital Markets Authority Decision No. 86/2023 fined Metals and Transformative Industries Company 1,000 Kuwaiti dinars for violating disclosure and transparency rules.

As for the fifth violation, Kuwait Capital Markets Authority Decision No. 88/2023 was issued, imposing a financial penalty on Wethaq Takaful Insurance Company for violating disclosure and transparency rules.

A financial penalty of 3,000 Kuwaiti dinars was imposed on the Insurance Company for the violation.

For the sixth violation, Kuwait Capital Markets Authority Decision No. 89/2023 fined Arabi Holding Group Company, its Chairman, Vice Chairman, four Board members, Financial Manager, and external auditor for violating disclosure, listing, governance, and securities rules.

The decision included imposing a financial penalty of 20,000 Kuwaiti dinars on Arabi Holding Group Company for the first violation, 1,000 Kuwaiti dinars for the second violation, and 3,000 Kuwaiti dinars for the third violation assigned to it with all its items.

A financial penalty of 3,000 Kuwaiti dinars was also imposed on each of the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Arabi Holding Group Company, three members of the Board of Directors, and the Financial Manager of the company for the violation attributed to them with all its items.

Additionally, a 5,000 Kuwaiti dinar fine was imposed on an “Arabi Holding” Board member acting as CEO for related violations, and a 1,000 Kuwaiti dinar fine on the company’s auditor for two violations.

For the seventh violation, Kuwait Capital Markets Authority Decision No. 90/2023 fined Al-Midan Dental Clinic Company, its Chairman, former Vice Chairman, and two Board members for violating disclosure, transparency, and corporate governance rules.

The decision included imposing a financial penalty of 2,000 Kuwaiti dinars on Al-Midan Dental Clinic Company for violating the provisions of items (16) and (17) of Article (4-1-1) of Chapter 10 (Disclosure and Transparency) of the Executive Regulations of Kuwait Law No. 7/2010 and their amendments.

A 50,000 Kuwaiti dinar fine was imposed on the Chairman, former Vice Chairman, and two Board members of the “Al-Midan” Company for violating Articles 3(1) and 7(3) of Chapter 15 (Corporate Governance Rules) of the Executive Regulations of Kuwait Law No. 7/2010 and their amendments.

In the eighth violation, Kuwait Capital Markets Authority Decision No. 91/2023 was issued, imposing a financial penalty on Equipment Holding Company for violating listing rules.

The Authority has stated that this was for violating the provisions of Article 1-14 of Chapter 12 (Listing Rules) of the Executive Regulations of Kuwait Law No. 7/2010 and its amendments.

It continued that this was represented in the company’s non-compliance with International Financial Reporting Standard No. 9 (Financial Instruments) and the third qualification from the auditor’s report for the year ended 31 December 2022.

In addition to the company’s non-compliance with International Accounting Standard No. 16 “IAS 16” (Property, Plant and Equipment) and the fourth qualification from the auditor’s report for the year ended December 2022.

The decision included imposing a financial penalty of 5,000 Kuwaiti dinars on Equipment Holding Company for each of the two violations attributed to it.

For the full story, click here.

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