Kuwait- New procedures put in place for issuance of Article 17 passports

(MENAFN- Arab Times) 3,465 files registered as SMEs; 7,734 files as entrepreneurs: PAM

KUWAIT CITY, June 25: General Department for Citizenship and Passport Affairs has taken a set of procedures to develop the mechanization for the issuance of Article 17 passports to illegal residents (bedouns), reports Al-Qabas daily.

According to sources, these procedures include granting priority of issuance for those seeking medical treatment and studies overseas. On Sundays, only the applications of the children of Kuwaiti mothers and those with Kuwaiti relatives will be accepted.

Monday will be allocated for following up and completing applications. Tuesday will be allocated for applications from those applying for study and treatment purposes, and Wednesday will be for military officials and those included in the 1965 census.

Meanwhile, the sources said General Department for Citizenship and Passport Affairs grants Kuwaiti passports within one day, but takes only two hours for urgent cases related to studies and medical treatments. They affirmed that there are no accumulated applications at the department, and it continues to offer services to citizens who are unable to attend to receive their e-passports.

Meanwhile, the Director of the Services Department of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) owners at the Public Authority for Manpower Fahd Murad said 3,465 files are registered as SMEs and 7,734 are registered as entrepreneurs at the Public Institution for Social Security and the number of workers registered is 78,858, reports Al-Jarida daily.

Murad told the daily, 'There are those who try to manipulate and exploit the privileges and use them for illegal means, so the management and labor inspection departments coordinate and assess the need to follow up the files of the small entrepreneurs and inspect them periodically to ensure their commitment to the law and the ministerial decisions.' He pointed out that there are inspection campaigns discovered manipulations by owners of these SMEs who are not committed to the terms and conditions. Some of them even hire workers from outside the country but fail to give them jobs, he added. He went on to say such files have been blocked and the owners referred to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ministry of Interior.

MENAFN2506201900960000ID1098684759