Kuwait City: Kuwait plans to privatise its landline phone and postal services, temporarily suspend new internet service providers and block all pornographic internet sites, Al Busairdi, the communications minister and state minister for national assembly affairs has announced.
"There is a drive to privatise the postal sector within the next two years, until the promulgation of the appropriate laws and regulations," he was quoted by Kuwaiti daily Al Siyassah as saying.
He explained that a private postal company will deliver letters to home addresses and not just to PO boxes.
The minister also announced that Kuwait has agreed with Research In Motion (RIM), the company that provides BlackBerry services, to shut down all ‘immoral’ internet sites.
"The three telecom operators in Kuwait have also decided to install filters to block pornographic sites.”Kuwait has also reached an agreement with Research In Motion (RIM), to provide information about any phone number in accordance with the law".
Al Busairi said the ministry of communications has stopped issuing licenses for new internet service providers until a telecommunications regulatory authority is established.
The existing companies will continue to operate until the authority is set up.
"There is also the intention of privatising fixed telephone lines, in line with what is happening all over the world, including in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries," he said.
He also told of government plans to establish an international cabling system in Kuwait and added that the country is moving forward with its metro project in an effort to alleviate traffic. It may also set up a transport authority.
"The authority will help organise the transportation sector in general and land transport, in particular, to put and end to the current chaotic conditions.”
