Kuwait Times, Thursday, Mar 09, 2023 | Sha'ban 17, 1444
Expats over 60 years allowed to transfer to private sector
Kuwait:
The Public Manpower Authority (PAM) on Wednesday
amended rules governing expats who are over 60 and have only a higher secondary
degree or lower, allowing them to transfer their residence to the private
sector. Following a total ban on renewal of their residency, the Authority a
year ago allowed them to renew their residence permits against the payment of a
KD250 annual fee and a comprehensive insurance from authorized insurers.
The Authority said the new amendment is effective from Wednesday. The amendment
allows such expats who work in government jobs and state-owned agencies and
departments, those on dependent visas or investors or partners in commercial or
industrial activity to transfer their residence permits to the private sector.
Expats over 60 years, with self-sponsored residency in accordance with article
24 of the residence law, can also transfer residence to the private sector,
according to the new amendment.
In the meantime, the Constitutional Court on Wednesday set March 19 as a date
for issuing its rulings on all election petitions filed by a large number of
losing candidates in the September 29 elections. The court, whose rulings are
final and cannot be challenged, had received over 50 petitions challenging the
results of the parliamentary elections.
The petitions called on the court to nullify Amiri decrees issued last year
which dissolved the National Assembly, invited voters to cast their votes,
allowed voters to use their Civil IDs to establish their identity and another
decree allowing residents of new residential areas to cast their votes. Lawyers
for the challengers claimed that there were discrepancies between the number of
those allowed to vote and those who voted at some election centers.
A defense lawyer told the court that based on his revision of the election
documents, he found that some 21,600 votes had not been counted in the Fifth
Constituency. Lawyers also claimed that they found that some 2,600 barred voters
had actually cast their vote in the Fourth Constituency. If the claims were
proved to be true, there is a great chance that some results will be changed.