Kuwait cabinet sounds alarm about rumor-mongering, disinformation
The Kuwaiti Cabinet on Tuesday cautioned against the perils of rumor-mongering and disinformation, urging social media and news services to ensure professionalism, credibility and national interest.
The cabinet gave the warning during its weekly meeting held at Bayan Palace under the chairmanship of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.
It lashed out at some social media sites and news services for having recently published ungrounded reports on measures taken by ministries and governmental bodies.
Calling on everybody to shoulder responsibility for publishing or republishing fake news stories, the cabinet warned that legal action would be taken against anyone involved in rumormongering and disinformation.
During the meeting, First Deputy Prime Minister, Interior Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah apprised the cabinet of the outcomes of his meeting with Philippine Overseas Employment Administration chief Bernard Olalia, which ultimately found a breakthrough to lift the ban on domestic employment from the Philippines.
He added that both sides had also agreed to form a joint committee pertinent to domestic labor affairs, one that would convene in a routine manner to address any sticking points that could potentially emerge.
Afterwards, the cabinet listened to an explanation from Minister of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy and Minister of State for Housing Affairs Dr. Mahmoud Bushehri about the country’s power system.
In this context, the ministers voiced sincere thanks and appreciation to all citizens and residents, along with state bodies and private companies for swift response to calls for cutting power consumption.
The Ministry of Information was then asked to interview ministers and senior state officials to highlight their services and accomplishments in a bid to bolster communication between officials and citizens.
Furthermore, the cabinet tasked the Kuwait Municipality with completing its efforts, in collaboration with other state bodies to put in place ministerial decrees pertinent to Sulaibikhat Bay and Al-Jahra Corniche development projects.
In this regard, the cabinet asked the municipality to send it a periodical report on relevant developments and executive steps bearing on both developmental projects. Finally, the ministers approved the Kuwaiti nationality verification committee’s recent decisions, including the withdrawal of some people’s nationality as per Law 15/1959 as for Kuwaiti nationality.
Source: KUNA