October 04, 2011Iraqi parliament to discuss Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port study
Iraq's parliamentary services committee revealed yesterday that the Iraqi government report on Kuwait's Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port will be discussed in the parliament today (Tuesday) during an open session.
Committee member MP Ihsan Al-Awadhi said that the decision to discuss the report submitted by a technical team following its recent visit to Kuwait to inspect and be briefed on the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port site in open session was taken to allow the Iraqi people to find out about the details of the stages of the port's construction and its potential effects on Iraqi maritime activities.
The MP said that the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port issue has serious economic dimensions and has become a critical concern for the Iraqi public, adding that it would be improper to attempt to keep the details of the technical report secret. Al-Awadhi said that Iraq will adopt a unified stance on the issue of the Kuwaiti port based on the report's findings.
Meanwhile a representative of the Iraqi Islamic Party said, "the construction of Fao Port is the practical answer to Kuwait's [construction of] Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port." IIP Secretary General Iyad Al-Samerrai asked the Iraqi government to avoid involvement in media altercations with the Kuwaiti side, adding that "A patriotic stance is not shown by rhetoric, but by a series of practical and effective moves.
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Al-Samerrai continued, "Iraq needs a political will to solve its international disputes and a plan that continues with the construction of Al-Fao port according to the original standards." The senior party official added that it is necessary to "consider Al-Fao port project as vital and political challenge.
On a separate issue, meanwhile, Kuwaiti MP Khalid Al-Adwa asked the interior minister to take every possible measure to meet the demands of the Ministry of Interior's (MoI) civilian staff and put an end to the unfair treatment that they have been subjected to for many years, which the MP said has adversely affected their allowances and salary increases.
Al-Adwa said that a rapid positive response to the demands of the MoI's civilian personnel would be the correct way to improve the situation for them. These staff have submitted demands for a review of their pay and conditions on many occasions over a number of years, Al-Adwa indicated, adding that the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has issued several directives supporting their demands, issuing the most important of these statements, which called for treating these staff and military personnel equally,
in 2006.
Al-Adwa also alleged that some servicemen had employed repressive tactics and harassment against civilian ministry personnel demanding their rights. Meanwhile state minister of development and planning Abdulwahab Al-Haroun said that increasing private sector workers' salaries would help in developing this vital sector, as well as being considered an excellent means of attracting large numbers of Kuwaitis to work in this area, thus helping to eradicate unemployment amongst citizens and limit the number of K
uwaitis on the CSC's books awaiting public sector jobs. The minister warned that the public sector cannot continue to create large numbers of new jobs for the unemployed indefinitely, adding that it is essential to encourage young Kuwaitis to join the private sector, which is a partner in developing the country.
Al-Haroun said that the prevalence of politically motivated decisions had harmed the private sector, adding that incentives for Kuwaiti employees should be increased. He added that the only way to develop the public sector is to encourage growth in the private sector and improve it through ensuring that it offers job security and supports Kuwaiti workers, ensuring that they don't perceive any differences between the benefits offered by working in the public or private sector.
On another news story, the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs (MAIA) has announced the forthcoming construction of a residential complex of villas for imams and muezzins (prayer callers) in the Zahra area. An MAIA insider revealed that the ministry is to contract a specialist firm to begin work on the project before the end of this year, after it has completed all the necessary official paperwork with the Central Tenders Committee. The insider explained that each villa in the complex will include apartments for staff employed at nearby mosques.
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