Cabinet approves decree on 'GCC Excise Tax Agreement'

The Cabinet held its meeting yesterday, presided over by His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Sabah, Prime Minister. Following the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Sharidh Al-Muwasharji, stated: “At the outset of the meeting, the Cabinet was briefed on the substance of the reception hosted by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, in the presence of His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah and His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Sabah, Prime Minister, for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her accompanying delegation, on the occasion of her official visit to the country last Friday.

On another note, the Cabinet expressed its strong condemnation and rejection of the continued terrorist attacks launched by the Houthi militia over the past days against several areas in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including attempts to target Mecca and Medina with two ballistic missiles, as well as the blatant attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, which resulted in the death of two people and injured others. It affirmed that these cowardly and shameful attacks constitute a blatant violation of the sanctity of Islamic holy sites, a disregard for their religious status, an affront to the feelings of Muslims, a blatant infringement on the sovereignty of the fraternal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law. It reiterated Kuwait’s absolute solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for all measures taken to safeguard its sovereignty, security, and the sanctity of the Two Holy Mosques, and to preserve their inviolability. It emphasized that the security of the Kingdom is an integral part of Kuwait’s security and the security of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

In a separate development, the Cabinet expressed its strong condemnation and rejection of the terrorist attack that targeted a church in Al-Karak Governorate in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan last Friday, which resulted in several deaths and injuries.

On another note, the Cabinet heard a briefing from Minister of Defense Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ali regarding his participation in the inauguration ceremony of the memorial for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, which was held last Saturday in Washington, D.C., the United States.

Separately, Minister of Public Works Dr. Noura Al-Mashaan informed the Cabinet about her laying the foundation stone last Monday for the project to study, design, construct, operate, and maintain the North Kabd Water Desalination Plant, which serves as a complementary facility.

In another development, the Cabinet reviewed a visual presentation by Minister of Public Works Dr. Noura Mohammed Al-Mashaan on the latest developments and the implementation status regarding contracts for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the main highway network, cleaning of the stormwater drainage network, lane planning, and installation of traffic signs on those roads. The presentation also covered the contract for the development of the road network and infrastructure for Terminal 2 (T2) of the new Kuwait International Airport, as well as contracts for major maintenance projects of internal streets across all governorates and regions of Kuwait.

On his part, the Cabinet emphasized the importance of adhering to the implementation of these projects according to the specified schedule, aiming to accelerate progress and enhance maintenance standards to ensure the safety of road users, reduce congestion and traffic jams on main highways and internal streets in Kuwaiti areas, and ensure smooth traffic flow across the country.

On another note, the Cabinet approved a draft law decree regarding the Unified GCC Excise Tax Agreement and its amendment annex, and forwarded it to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

On another note, the Cabinet reviewed the minutes of the meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Public Services, which included several items, the most prominent of which was the report of the Green Urban Development Initiatives Committee on initiatives submitted by a number of state-owned oil sector companies, private sector firms, cooperative societies, and individuals. These initiatives pertained to ornamental landscaping and greening of several main streets and certain sites and squares across the country, public parks in some residential areas, and painting several major bridges in various governorates of Kuwait. The Cabinet approved these initiatives. The Cabinet also reviewed a number of agenda items, reports, and ministerial committee minutes, approving them, and decided to refer some of them to the relevant ministerial committees for study and to submit appropriate recommendations to complete the procedures for their implementation.