March 23: One of the main issues tormenting the nation is traffic congestion and MP Talal Al-Jallal in a parliamentary query to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah wants to know what causes the traffic bottlenecks on all streets across Kuwait and what measures have been taken by the General Traffic Department to solve this problem.

March 23: Minister of Commerce and Industry, acting State Minister for Youth Affairs Khaled Al-Roudan blames his colleague, the Minister of Finance Anas Al-Saleh, for not enforcing law to establish the livestock company, reports Al-Shahed daily.

March 23: Ministry of Public Works is planning to replace all its expatriate employees with Kuwaitis within the next five years before the year 2022, reports Al-Shahed daily quoting informed sources. They said the ministry is keen on benefiting from the experiences of national labor and contributing in providing job opportunities to the youths based on the plan of the Cabinet and in line with the Kuwaitization policy in the public sector.

March 23: Director of the Hawally Health sector, Dr Fahd Al-Foudari said he supports the proposal which calls on the expatriates to buy their medicines or at least part of the cost, reports Al-Rai daily.

March 22, (KUNA): The Ministry of Commerce and Industry will enforce stiff penalties against traders who lift or manipulate with commodities’ prices, the minister warned on Wednesday. The department will take stringent measures against any merchant who raises the prices in an unjustifiable manner, warned Khaled Al-Roudhan, the Minister of Trade and Industry and the Acting Minister of State for Youth Affairs, in a statement to journalists at the parliament headquarters.

Undersecretary at the Ministry of Electricity and Water Engineer Mohammad Buhahri has commissioned undersecretaries in various sectors of the ministry to present strategy to reduce the number of expatriates in operations and maintenance sectors and replace them with the national personnel as per Kuwaitization policy, reports Al- Rai daily quoting a knowledgeable source.

Assistant Undersecretary for Private and Qualitative Education in the Ministry of Education Dr. AbdulMohsin Al-Huwailah disclosed that 1,074 of the total 1,270 male and female teachers employed by schools for special needs in the country do not have certificates to deal with handicaps, reports Al-Anba daily.

March 22: Showing concern for the health of the citizens and people living in the country, MP Waleed Al- Tabtabaei has presented a bill in the National Assembly which calls for the establishment of laboratories at all land, air and sea ports to run a check on foodstuffs imported from abroad.

March 22: Ministry of Higher Education is considering suspension of accreditation of three private universities for not obtaining approval from academic accreditation authorities and also for their lack of administrative and academic capabilities, reports Al-Shahed daily quoting informed sources.

Suicides in Kuwait continue to remain at high numbers, with 73 recorded in 2016. Official statistics show 75 suicide cases were registered in 2015, while 61 committed suicide in 2014, and 52 in 2013, 53 in 2012, 37 in 2011 and 52 in 2010.