Minister of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy, and Acting Minister of Education Dr. Jassim Al-Astad, has taken the decision to suspend the director of a department within the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources.
This action comes as a response to the deteriorating conditions of ornamental crops and the loss of trees in public areas, reports Al-Qabas daily.
In a statement provided to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Friday, PAAAFR clarified that the suspension was prompted by the director’s period of assuming responsibilities as Deputy Director General for one of the Authority’s sectors.
During this time, there was a significant lapse in supervising and monitoring ornamental agriculture contracts, as indicated in the final report issued by the committee responsible for inspecting all ornamental agriculture projects.
The statement further elaborated that the decision was made in light of the committee’s findings, which highlighted negligence, a lack of diligence in carrying out duties, and the misallocation of public funds without achieving the intended outcomes from these contracts.
Additionally, the director failed to address the concerns raised by the Audit Bureau and the Government Performance Monitoring Agency regarding project contracts. This negligence resulted in subpar ornamental agriculture services and a lack of precision in preparing tender documents under his supervision, as well as multiple contract extensions that mirrored the original contract durations.
This action was taken in accordance with Decree No. 134 of 2023, issued on July 18, which mandated the transfer of oversight of the General Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources to the Minister of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy.