Kuwaiti Cabinet OKs 6-month benefit to laid-off workers

The Cabinet has agreed to continue the payment of unemployment benefits to laid-off workers of the private sector for another six months.
The agreement was announced by Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah following a routine weekly cabinet meeting held at Seif Palace on Monday under chairmanship of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.
But, the cabinet stipulated that unemployment benefit applicants should submit job applications to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) within the six-month period, he said, adding that benefits would be stopped once they were chosen to work at state bodies.
The cabinet also agreed to create a high-level committee for structural planning and major construction projects, with His Highness the Prime Minister as head and five ministers as members, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah added.
Other members are to be selected from the Supreme Council for Planning and Development; along with two experts and officials of concerned state agencies, he said, noting that the committee would undertake the compilation and implementation of the state structural plan.
At the onset of the cabinet meeting, the ministers were briefed on the fact that His Highness the Amir and his accompanying delegation will leave for Doha to attend the 35th GCC Summit, hoping that it will contribute to bolstering and cementing cooperation and integration.
The cabinet then listened to a briefing from First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on the outcomes of his recent visit to Sudan to attend the Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum.
Sheikh Sabah, in his briefing, elaborated on the outcomes of his recent visit to Somalia where he led an Arab ministerial delegation to this Arab country to assess ongoing efforts to maintain security and stability there.
Afterwards, the ministers were apprised of the findings of a recent visit paid by IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of Kuwait's IAEA membership.
Furthermore, the cabinet consented to a draft decree to promote 58 army officers from the rank of colonel to brigadier upon a recommendation from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah.
The cabinet also approved draft decrees on cooperation between the State of Kuwait and Japan, Turkey and Jordan in various fields involving education, scientific research, achieves, vocational training.
The cabinet revoked its earlier decree No 495/2008 on granting exceptional pensions to some military officers, and asked Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah to introduce amendments to Article 22 of the Ministerial Decree No 3623/2004 in order to ensure stability at security bodies through revising rewards, especially regarding non-commissioned army officers as per Article 49 of the Army Law No 23/19678.
The ministers finally discussed the agenda of the National Assembly (parliament) and political reports on the latest Arab and international developments.