The Council of Ministers has directed its members to take appropriate actions within their respective areas of responsibility to hold accountable those who have failed to respond to the inquiries from the government performance follow-up agency concerning the issues related to rainwater and sewage collection in Sabah Al-Ahmad City. The Council further emphasized the importance of promptly implementing the recommendations provided by the agency to effectively tackle and resolve this problem, reported Al-Jarida Daily.
Following the Governmental Performance Follow-up Agency’s report on sewage and rainwater collection in Sabah Al-Ahmad City, the Ministry of Works has been designated as primarily responsible. The Council of Ministers has instructed relevant ministers to ensure prompt response to the agency’s communications and to identify and hold accountable those responsible for non-response, dividing them into four groups.
The Public Works Agency bears the primary responsibility for wastewater treatment and has been found to breach Cabinet decisions on hastening the execution of agency recommendations. Ignoring six agency letters and continuing environmental issues in Sabah Al-Ahmad City have led to a recommendation for a new inquiry committee within the Ministry. This committee aims to investigate reported infractions, highlighting shortcomings and neglect, and proposes legal actions, including the referral of defaulting parties to the Public Prosecution.
The agency also recommended the necessity of adhering to the implementation of what was stated in Cabinet Resolution No. (1145/2022) and taking the necessary measures regarding the Public Works Authority, the Roads Authority, the Kuwait Municipality, and the Agriculture Authority, in light of the agency’s failure to comply with its procedures.
The agency’s report highlighted that a recommendation had been made to the Environment Agency to initiate investigations into the reasons behind the incomplete punitive actions against violations observed in the implementation of two contracts related to temporary treatment units in “Sabah Al-Ahmad Residential” area. The goal is to establish accountability and take appropriate actions against those responsible. The agency reported that it had forwarded the violations to the prosecution, leading to an internal investigation. Consequently, the director of the Environmental Compliance Department was sanctioned with a 7-day salary deduction due to negligence in enforcing environmental violation penalties. The Environment Agency’s report for January to May 2023 revealed elevated bacterial and chemical indicators at the temporary treatment unit sites, as informed by the agency.
Furthermore, the Council of Ministers also mandated the government performance follow-up agency to oversee the progress made by the aforementioned authorities in executing recommendations aimed at resolving the sewage and rainwater collection challenge in Sabah Al-Ahmad City. The agency is tasked with furnishing the Council of Ministers with the outcomes of its oversight within one month from its initiation.
Delving into specifics, during its meeting on August 14, 2023, the Council of Ministers reviewed a communication from the Government Performance Follow-up Agency dated July 17, 2023, addressing the issue of sewage and rainwater collection in Sabah Al-Ahmad Residential City. The agency initiated its activities, subsequently contacting relevant ministers on May 24, 2023, to procure updates on progress made regarding the subject matter. The ministers were requested to provide details of actions taken in line with the Cabinet’s decisions, along with implementation timelines, within a two-week window from the date of the communication.
The device received a report from the Environment Public Authority covering January to May 2023, confirming elevated bacterial and chemical indicators at temporary treatment unit sites. The agency’s perspective can be summarized as follows:
- The agency attributes primary responsibility to the Ministry of Public Works, as the authority responsible for wastewater treatment. The ministry is accused of:
- Disregarding Council of Ministers’ decisions, which includes expediting the agency’s report recommendations’ implementation and timely sharing of ministry actions.
- Failing to respond to six letters from the agency on this matter.
- Neglecting necessary investigations.
- Urgent formation of a new investigation committee within the Ministry of Public Works is advised. The committee should address all the issues highlighted in the agency’s October 2022 report comprehensively. This should encompass identifying shortcomings, deficiencies, and negligence. This is especially critical due to ongoing environmental challenges in Sabah Al-Ahmad Residential City. Those found culpable, whether from companies or current/former officials, should be referred to the Public Prosecution.
- The agency underscores the importance of adhering to Cabinet Resolution No. 1145/2022. Additionally, it suggests action be taken against the Ministry of Public Works, the Public Authority for Roads and Land Transport, the Kuwait Municipality, and the Public Authority for Agriculture and Fisheries Affairs. This is based on their failure to communicate the measures taken to implement Council of Ministers’ decisions (2023/432, item two).
Read Today's News TODAY... on our Telegram Channel click here to join and receive all the latest updates t.me/thetimeskuwait
