Kuwait to ratify global treaty to tackle graft

Kuwait will soon ratify an international agreement on combating corruption, according to two members of parliament.

Kuwait has tough laws in place to deal with corruption effectively, said Waleed Al Tabtabaei and Ahmad Al Mulaifi on the sidelines of the Arab Parliamentary seminar on the United Nations' agreement for fighting corruption.

They said Kuwait was one of the first countries that tackled corruption.

The one-day seminar, held here yesterday, was to discuss the UN agreement, since corruption has developed into a major problem in many countries affecting development.

Al Tabtabaei said Kuwait has established the Public Funds Protection Committee as well as the Parliamentary law regarding state funds issued in 1993.

It has also established an Arab Parliamentarians Against Corruption branch.

Kuwaiti laws prohibit fraud, bribery and money laundering, in addition to administrative and governmental corruption, he added.

Al Tabtabaei said the seminar aims to submit the UN agreement text to Arab parliamentary officials.

"Corruption should be tackled head on by making joint regional and international efforts, through exchanging information and security data, in addition to tracking down violators and criminals." he said.

Chief of the parliamentary public funds protection committee MP Ahmad Al Mulaifi said a Kuwaiti Transparency Society would be established soon to promote awareness on corruption.