Cabinet reviews final preparations for Arab Summit

The cabinet held its routine weekly meeting at Seif Palace on Sunday evening under chairmanship of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. The cabinet members were briefed on the letter sent by Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, expressing appreciation for his invitation to attend the 25th Arab Summit in Kuwait, including the assignment of Assad bin Tareq Al-Said to head the Omani delegation on behalf of the Sultan. They were briefed on the letter sent by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to His Highness the Amir, inviting him to attend the third International Conference in Apia city of Samoa next September. They were also briefed on the letter from Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, which highlighted ways of boosting bilateral relations between the two countries. The cabinet was apprised on the letter from Mayor of London Boris Johnson to His Highness the Amir, expressing pleasure and thanks on the warm reception during his recent visit to Kuwait. The cabinet was also beefed on a letter from World Food Program to His Highness the Amir appreciating Kuwait hosting of the recent 2nd Syria Donors Conference and Kuwait's relief effort for the Syrians. The ministers were briefed on two messages to His Highness the Prime Minister from his Belarusian and Fijian counterparts Mikhail Maysnikovich and Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, respectively. The messages deal with ways to promote the bilateral ties between Kuwait and the two friendly countries. His Highness the Prime Minister apprised the cabinet meeting on the preparations for hosting the 25th Arab Summit, to be chaired by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on March 25-26. The Summit, the first to be hosted by Kuwait, draws increasing regional and international attention due to the mounting challenges facing the Arab region. The meeting was briefed on the formation of Kuwait delegation to the Arab Summit, led by His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The delegation includes His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Minister of the Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Mohammad Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of the Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr. Abdulmohsen Madaj Al-Madaj, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Minister of Finance Anas Khaled Al-Saleh, Chief of Staff of His Highness the Amir's Office Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al-Fahad, Advisor to the Amiri Diwan Mohammad Abdullah Abul-Hassan, Master of Amiri Ceremonies Sheikh Khaled Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry Khaled Suleiman Al-Jarallah, and Undersecretary of His Highness the Crown Prince's Diwan Sheikh Mubarak Al-Faisal Al-Saud Al-Sabah. On the occasion of the summit, the Cabinet welcomed the guests of His Highness the Amir, Their Royal Highnesses and Excellencies the Arab leaders to their second home, wishing them and their entourages happy stay in Kuwait and positive results of the summit. His Highness the Prime Minister also briefed the cabinet on the outcome of the recent visit to Kuwait by Tunisian Prime Minister Mahdi Jomaa and its positive impacts on the bilateral ties in all fields. Minister of Finance Anas Al-Saleh told the meeting that the credit rating of Kuwait, announced by Moody's on March 14, 2014, put the country' sovereign credits among the world's best. Moody's report recommended addressing the existing challenges such as slow pace of economic diversification, weak state revenues, decline of non-oil revenues, slow financial reforms, and excessive public expenditure, Al-Saleh noted. The cabinet approved, after deliberations, the recommendation the economic affairs committee on a draft law for linking the budget of the national fund for supporting the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for April 2, 2013, to March 31, 2015. The draft is meant to facilitate the planning and launching of SMEs and bring to play the role of the private sector in the national economic growth, job creating and diversification of income, and promote entrepreneurship. It also aims to provide the necessary information and offer technical assistance for the development of feasibility studies, prepare suitable ground for SMEs, increase the competiveness of such enterprises, build the capacity of human resources, encourage the domestic production, catalyze creativity, and promote the intellectual property rights. The cabinet approved the draft and referred it to His Highness the Amir for final endorsement. The cabinet reviewed the recommendation of the economic affairs committee for a strategy for promoting investment in domestic staples production with a view to curb overreliance on imported foodstuffs. The cabinet decided to mandate the Ministry of Finance to coordinate with Pubic Investment Authority in drawing up the recommended strategy. The meeting endorsed the decree naming Awatef Suleiman Al-Ghoneim as Undersecretary of the Ministry of Public Works and the decree naming Walid Ghanem Al-Ghanem as Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Public Works. The two decrees were referred to His Highness the Amir for final endorsement. The meeting reviewed a range of regional and international issues on the agenda.