LOC21:22
18:22 GMT
KUWAIT, May 1 (KUNA) -- Kuwait Minister of Oil Bkheit Al-Rashidi said remarks raised by two MPs who were grilling him Tuesday regarding losses were "speculations," not based on "clear" and official reports.
MPs Omar Al-Tabtabai and Abdulwahab Al-Babtain did not provide "official reports but information listed in some documents which mostly were speculations," Al-Rashidi said in response to the lawmakers.
He said a refinery in Vietnam will be fully operational once units work this month. He added the refinery did not cost the country anything. "Kuwait Petroleum International did not pay a single dollar on the Vietnam refinery project," added Al-Rashidi.
The minister meanwhile said a company that was hired by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) to train executives was recording profits, contrary to claims by the MPs. The company is fully owned by state Public Investment Authority.
Al-Rashidi also vowed to address any problem raised by the MPs, urging lawmakers to give him enough time to solve oil sector's problems.
MP Al-Babtain brushed aside Al-Rashidi's argument on Vietnam refinery, saying the contractor attempted to deliver the refinery although the project contained 1,000 defaults.
He said it was quite strange the refinery achieved USD millions worth of profits although it was working with half of its operational capacity. Al-Babtain asked the minister to provide official documents proving the profits.
Al-Tabtabai backed Al-Babtain and said the oil minister's answers over the Vietnam refinery were incomplete and lacked official documents. (pickup previous)
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