Minister of Commerce and Industry Khalifa Al-Ajeel

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 17: Minister of Commerce and Industry Khalifa Al-Ajeel issued three ministerial decisions Tuesday to establish specialized inspection committees aimed at monitoring and controlling violations on industrial plots supervised by the Public Authority for Industry (PAI).

The committees, each headed by a senior advisor, will conduct comprehensive surveys of industrial plots, oversee violations, and enforce corrective actions as necessary. The PAI said in a statement to KUNA that this initiative seeks to restore order and discipline within the industrial and service sectors, support compliant factories, and encourage serious business activities. The ultimate goal is to foster an advanced industrial environment that strengthens the national economy and boosts its competitiveness.

The inspection committees comprise representatives from eight government entities: the Ministry of Interior, Kuwait Municipality, Fatwa and Legislation Department, General Fire Force, Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy, Ministry of Health, Public Authority for Manpower, and Ministry of Justice. This multi-agency collaboration aims to streamline regulatory and supervisory roles.

According to the decisions, the committees are tasked with conducting integrated surveys of all plots under PAI supervision, identifying violations, and taking legal action accordingly. They will also prepare detailed reports outlining detected violations, recommendations, and proposed procedures.

The PAI emphasized that the committees have been granted extensive inspection and oversight powers, including the use of modern technology to enhance operational efficiency. The Authority highlighted that this move underlines the government’s commitment to transparency and discipline in managing industrial, commercial, service, and craft plots.

By reinforcing investor confidence, promoting fair competition, and ensuring regulatory compliance, the committees are expected to create an industrial sector capable of significantly contributing to Kuwait’s national economy.

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 16: A Bangladeshi delegation led by His Excellency Sayed Tariq Hussain, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Kuwait, held a meeting on Tuesday, September 16, at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).

The meeting was attended by Assistant Director General at KCCI, Feras Muhammad Al-Oudah, along with several senior officials and representatives from private sector companies.

Al-Oudah welcomed the delegation and praised the strong and friendly relations between Kuwait and the Republic of Bangladesh. He expressed KCCI’s interest in further developing cooperation with Bangladesh in the areas of trade, commercial exchange, and investment.

He noted that the Bangladeshi delegation included senior officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry as well as representatives from various sectors, including food, textiles, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and more.

Al-Oudah highlighted that trade volume between Kuwait and Bangladesh increased from approximately $19.9 million in 2014 to nearly $42.2 million in 2023.

He expressed hope that the meeting would yield fruitful outcomes and contribute to achieving KCCI’s goal of boosting commercial ties with countries around the world.

Al-Oudah reaffirmed KCCI’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Bangladesh in trade, commerce, and investment.

For his part, the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Kuwait, H.E. Sayed Tariq Hussain, expressed pride in the strong and long-standing relations between his country and Kuwait, emphasizing his desire to advance economic cooperation.

He explained that a cooperation agreement was signed between Bangladesh and Kuwait in 2016; however, no follow-up meetings had been held since then. However, Bangladesh is now taking the initiative, with the meeting on Tuesday being just the beginning, which he hopes will lead to the signing of multiple agreements in the near future.

The ambassador highlighted the vast investment and trade opportunities in Bangladesh, which is undergoing rapid development, particularly in sectors such as industry, artificial intelligence (AI), information technology (IT), pharmaceuticals, ready-made garments, and natural gas.

He explained that Bangladesh is taking serious steps to attract foreign investment, including facilitating procedures and offering a one-stop service window for investors to complete all official processes. In addition, a wide range of online services is now available to facilitate investment.

The ambassador concluded by expressing his country’s ambition to significantly increase commercial cooperation with Kuwait, from the current volume of a few million U.S. dollars to several billion in the coming years.

The Bangladeshi delegation included senior officials from the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as a number of prominent businessmen.

By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff

Vehicles are parked for export at a Yokohama port, near Tokyo on Aug 1. (AP)

TOKYO, Sept 17, (AP): Japan’s exports to the United States plummeted 13.8% in August compared to the same month the previous year, marking the fifth straight month of declines, as auto exports were hit by President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The Finance Ministry data released Wednesday showed the rate of the drop in exports to the US compared to the previous year worsened from a 10.1% slip in July.

US tariffs on Japanese automobiles and auto parts decreased from 27.5%, the amount Trump initially levied, to 15% this week, but that’s still higher than the original 2.5%. Wednesday’s data reflect the month of August, when the tariffs were higher. Japan’s overall exports were little changed, slipping 0.1%, as exports grew to Europe and the Middle East.

The provisional data for August showed Japan’s imports from the world fell 5.2% from a year ago. Imports from China grew 2.1%, while exports to China fell 0.5%. Imports from the US grew 11.6%. Exports to the world grew in food, gaining 18%, as well as in ships, growing by nearly 25%. Imports grew in computers, adding nearly 35% on-year, while aircraft rose 21%.