Men Of Influence In Oil Sector Fingered
KUWAIT CITY, Aug 28
Some influential people in the oil sector are said to have 'blocked' the report which was issued by the fact-finding committee which was formed by the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation in May 2011, to look into the issue of diesel smuggling activities, reports Al-Shahed daily quoting reliable sources.
Sources added the committee has caved in to pressure from unidentified sources but the diesel smugglers continue in their trade unabated and in fact their activities have picked up in recent months.
The sources added the committee's report is not expected to be submitted in the near future because there are those who are standing in the face of the report for fear the names of prominent businessmen in Kuwait will pop up.
Sources pointed out there are businessmen and private entrepreneurs and even state-owned companies involved in the scam.
The sources said the committee should have completed its investigations and issued a report in February 2012. The delay in submitting the reports gives rise to suspicions about the ability of the government to protect the country's resources from being misappropriated.
The sources have expressed surprise at the negligence of the committee to perform its task under pressure and failure to prevent the smuggling of thousands of tons of oil derivates when the country suffers from scarcity of petroleum products, mainly gasoline and diesel.
The sources pointed out one of the companies 'earns' every year about KD 10 million from these smuggling operations incurring heavy losses to the Kuwaiti treasury. The sources stressed the committee has not taken any steps to stop this wastage.
There is no doubt the committee is sleeping over the issue while the smugglers make hay while the sun shines. Surprisingly the National Assembly members have yet to follow up the work of this committee.
© Arab Times 2012
