KUWAIT, Jan 3 (KUNA) -- Recently-enacted amendments on laws of women's residential care and those of the Saving and Credit Bank were among the projects of the state development plan, housing officials affirmed.
In a press conference held here on Monday, the officials revealed that such amendments were aimed to secure adequate housing for Kuwaiti women that have not benefited from the residential care service through the provision of housing alternatives, either by obtaining a housing loan or providing housing at low rents.
Adviser to the Minister of State for Housing Affairs' office, Nidhal Al-Humaidan, said the first amendment of first bill to article (47/93) tackled cases such as of the Kuwaiti women married to non-Kuwaitis, the divorcees, widows and unmarried women who are over 40 years old.
The modifications address the situation of Kuwaiti women not covered by the law of residential care, she said, adding that they also include the law of SCB No. (30/65), increasing its capital from KD 500 million to KD three billion.
Intended to help these women remain closely integrated with the Kuwaiti society, these amendments stipulate that family-size houses be secured for them in the country's various provinces, according to IDs, so they may reside close to their families, Al-Humaidan said.
Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Minister of State for Development Affairs and Minister of State for Housing Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah played a major role in introducing the amendments, she added.
On his part, the Director of Legal Affairs at the Bank of Credit and Savings Fahad Al-Mutairi said the amendments allow widows and divorcees with children to apply for a housing loan and get low-cost housing.
Al-Mutairi added that the segment of women married to non-Kuwaitis, or never married, or over the age of 40 years, are entitled to receive low-cost housing, saying that strict terms will be placed to obtain this type of housing.
A committee is formed to settle disputes relating to residential care under the chairmanship of Advisor to the Court of Appeal to resolve the outstanding issues of women and the settlement of disputes before resorting to the courts, he added.
Sheikh Al-Fahad was keen to broaden, through these amendments, the development strategy to address the situation of Kuwaiti women, not benefiting from the residential care by giving them multiple options to choose proper housing, said Majed Al-Ajmi, the secretary of committees and work teams at the bureau of the deputy premier for economic affairs.(end) mga.rf.mao KUNA 031807 Jan 11NNNN