Many Kuwaiti factories have been forced to halt production as the machinery require technical maintenance that can only be done by foreign engineers and technicians who have refused to come to Kuwait, reports Al-Anba daily.
Many engineers and technicians from the manufacturing companies that build the production lines do not want to be forced to abide by the 14-day home quarantine imposed by the authorities on those entering the country, as they have other work obligations in different countries.
Industrial representatives have finalized an urgent petition to the Cabinet to express their concerns in this regard to be submitted to the Council of Ministers at the end of the Eid Al-Adha holiday. This was after several production lines in their factories stopped functioning in the absence of technical maintenance by professional engineers and technicians.
The daily reports, citing sources, the specialized technicians in operating machinery, equipment and production lines in factories, were meant to report to the Kuwait factories once the Kuwait International Airport resumed operations on Aug 1. Some of the equipment in the Kuwaiti factories stopped working during the total curfew period, while still under warranty by the parent companies, and even for maintenance, specialists and technicians from those companies have to come to perform the task.
However, the specialists are refusing to visit Kuwait under the current circumstances, but they are willing only if allowed to leave after a maximum of one week because as professionals they have other maintenance obligations in factories located in different countries. They said it is not logical to spend 14 days in quarantine at the expense of their work in other countries.
The daily said, quoting sources, that the petition to be submitted to the Cabinet includes a proposal for a new PCR examination to be conducted for specialists coming to Kuwait, in addition to the examination, carried out by those from their countries as a condition to enter Kuwait.
Then, they should be allowed to visit the factories two days after their entry into Kuwait, so that the Kuwaiti factories can continue their operations without interruption. It is important that the factories continue to be operational in the face of the pandemic conditions.
They warned that it is risky for some main production lines to stop work in the coming days, and this matter should be taken seriously by working to solve the compulsory quarantine problem for those coming to Kuwait, especially as it affects all economic sectors in the country and not just the industrial sector.
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