After taking oath of office before His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah earlier Tuesday, the cabinet held its maiden meeting at Seif Palace under the chairmanship of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. At the beginning of the meeting, His Highness the Prime Minister welcomed the new ministers, thanking them for accepting the responsibility in this phase which includes different challenges, Deputy Prime Minister, Interior Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh said after the meeting. His Highness the Prime Minister commended the directives of His Highness the Amir on the necessity of eliminating corruption in its forms and manifestations from the society, Al-Saleh added.
His Highness the Prime Minister also extolled His Highness the Amir’s directives during his speech after the new Cabinet had taken the constitutional oath before him, Al-Saleh noted. His Highness the Prime Minister expressed his thanks and appreciations to His Highness Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah for his strenuous efforts in serving the dear homeland during his tenure. His Highness the Premier prioritized the protection of public fund and taking necessary steps in this matter, and the promotion of transparency and honesty, he pointed out.
The Premier also stressed the importance of eliminating corruption, indicating that combating this phenomenon is not only the government’s responsibility but also the duty of the three authorities and every citizen, the minister concluded. Earlier in the day, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah addressed the new ministers after taking oath before him and urged them to double efforts to accelerate process of development and construction in order to meet aspirations of citizens.
His Highness the Prime Minister instructed speeding up the steps towards restructuring of the national economy and curtailing overreliance on oil revenues. He highlighted the need of the government commitment to the constitution regarding the presentation of its platform to the National Assembly, noting that its action plan should be practical, viable and verifiable. He reminded the cabinet members that their oaths of office mean loyalty to His Highness the Amir and acting on his wise instructions, and working with the National Assembly to address the various issues of national concern, rebuild the dear homeland and maintain its stability.
He recalled the instructions of His Highness the Amir during his meeting with His Highness the Prime Minister, Speaker of the National Assembly Marzouq AlGhanim and head of the judiciary authority Justice Youssef Al-Metawe’h regarding commitment cooperation among the executive, legislative and judicial authorities under Article 50 of the Constitution to ensure good governance and rule of law, and combat corruption. His Highness the Prime Minister briefed the cabinet on his visits to the National Assembly and the Supreme Judiciary Council and his meetings with heads of the State Audit Bureau, Kuwait Anticorruption Authority (Nazaha), the financial auditors authority, the Fatwa and Legislation Dept., and Central Agency for Public Tenders.
He noted that the meetings reviewed the investigations into the cases of irregularities in handling the public funds and the combat against corruption. On his part, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Ahmad Mansour Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah expressed, on behalf of his colleagues in the cabinet, deep gratitude to His Highness the Amir for placing his confidence in them.
He appreciated the speech of His Highness the Amir, saying it charted a roadmap for the government action in the coming stage given the crucial national missions and tensions in the region which require “materialization of our national unity.” Sheikh Ahmad stressed the importance of partnership with the National Assembly in serving the homeland and ensuring welfare and prosperity for “our generous people.”
The cabinet welcomed as positive the outcomes of the recent meetings of His Highness the Prime Minister and his keenness on cooperation with the judiciary and legislative authorities in keeping with the instructions of His Highness the Amir. The cabinet members also reviewed the latest developments of the situations in the Arab region and beyond and congratulated King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, of Bahrain, and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of Qatar, on the national days of both sisterly countries.
