KUWAIT CITY, Oct 21: The Board of Directors of the Central Agency for Public Tenders (CAPT) recently decided to award three tenders for the maintenance of parts of the electrical grid, with a total cost of KD7.766 million. These tenders will be referred to the State Audit Bureau for audit and to obtain its opinion prior to the final contract approval. One of the tenders is for the supply and installation of medium-voltage (11 kV) and low-voltage lines and related works along Salmi Road at a total cost of KD2.354 million.

The other tender is for the maintenance and repair of insulated cable feeders in the southern part of the country at a cost of KD2.706 million, while the last tender covers the maintenance and repair of insulated cable feeders in the central area at a total cost of KD2.706 million. CAPT excluded the lowest bidders for non-compliance with the technical terms and specifications for the two cable feeder maintenance tenders.

Meanwhile, the statistical report issued by the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy in September revealed that the ratio of female to male appointments has shown a slower pace of growth, increasing by only 0.2 percent in the first nine months of this year. It disclosed that the total number of female employees appointed in January reached 9,770 (27.6 percent), which increased to 10,190 (27.8 percent).

By Mohammed Ghanem Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry inspects 55 tons of precious metals in H1 2025, collecting $5.5 million in fees.

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 21: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced that its Precious Metals Department inspected and hallmarked approximately 55 million grams of gold, silver, and other precious metals and stones during the first half of 2025, generating total fees of KD 1.77 million (around USD 5.5 million).

In official statistics released to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Tuesday, the ministry revealed that gold and silver dominated the inspected quantities. Specifically, 18.063 million grams of gold were examined, with fees totaling KD 909,000 (approximately USD 3 million). Silver inspections amounted to 31.446 million grams, yielding KD 314,000 (around USD 1 million) in fees.

The ministry further stated that 2.221 million grams of gold inlaid with precious stones were also examined, generating fees of KD 158,000 (around USD 516,000).

Detailed statistics showed that unplated gold made up the majority of gold examined, followed by gold inlaid with precious stones at 11 percent and gold inlaid with diamonds at 4 percent.

In relation to other services such as parcels, certificates, and trade releases, the ministry indicated that additional fees collected amounted to KD 184,000 (approximately USD 600,000). Among these, trade release services topped the list, with 7,599 transactions generating KD 75,000 (about USD 245,000).

The data also highlighted fees collected from the examination of plated accessories and prayer beads. A total of 13,945 plated accessories were examined for KD 1,394 (around USD 4,500), while 9,540 prayer beads generated KD 4,700 (about USD 14,000) in fees.

A person stands in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan’s Nikkei index at a securities firm on Oct 20, in Tokyo. (AP)

BANGKOK, Oct 21, (AP): Asian markets advanced on Tuesday, with Japan’s benchmark creeping closer to the symbolically important 50,000 level for the first time as lawmakers chose conservative hardliner Sanae Takaichi to become the country’s first female prime minister. The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo gave up earlier, bigger gains after Takaichi prevailed in a vote in Japan’s parliament, rising just 0.3% to 49,316.06.

She is expected to support market-friendly policies such as low interest rates and more government spending. The US dollar rose to 151.31 Japanese yen from 150.75 yen. If Takaichi gets her way in slowing interest rate increases by the Bank of Japan, the yen is likely to remain relatively weak against the dollar. That will hinder the central bank’s efforts to curb inflation, which now stands above its target rate of about 2%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 1.2% to 26,164.64 and the Shanghai Composite index was up 1.3% at 3,913.34. Expectations that US President Donald Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month during a regional summit have raised hopes for an easing of trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies.

Chinese Communist Party leaders are meeting this week to set a policy blueprint for the next five years In South Korea, the Kospi gained 0.2% to 3,8223.84, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.7% to 9,094.70. Taiwan’s Taiex rose 0.2%. US stocks rallied on Monday to the cusp of their records. The S&P 500 climbed 1.1%, pulling within 0.3% of its all-time high set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.1% and the Nasdaq composite gained 1.4%.

Apple rose 3.9% to its own record high amid optimism about demand for its latest iPhone design. It was the strongest force lifting the S&P 500. Cleveland-Cliffs jumped 21.5% after the steel company’s CEO, Lourenco Goncalves, said it would provide details soon about a potential deal with a major global steel producer that could mean bigger profits.

He also said his company has potentially found signs of rare earths at sites in Michigan and Minnesota. Such materials have grabbed the global spotlight after China recently put curbs on the export of its own rare earths, a move that Trump characterized as hostile. Trump’s ensuing threat of higher tariffs triggered big swings for Wall Street, but the concerns eased a bit after Trump said such high tax rates on Chinese imports are unsustainable.