KUWAIT: The four-year development plan that was approved yesterday by the Kuwaiti National Assembly is worth KD 30.8 billion ($108 billion) which is the total expenditure of the public and private sectors over this period , Secretary General for Planning Dr Adel Al-Weqayyan said here yesterday. Al-Weqayyan said that the expected government expenditure as part of this plan is estimated at some KD 15.6 billion in oil and non-oil sectors at annual average of KD 3.9 billion. He pointed out that the private sect
or's contribution is worth a total of KD 15.2 billion and at an annual average of some KD 3.8 billion, noting that this goes in line with the plan's goals that aim at raising the share of the private sector in the economic activity.

The private sector will contribute to the plan's goals and the economic activity through the contribution of the joint stock companies that will be set up in the coming period along with the investment state expenditure represented in some projects carried out by the private sector as well, he said. There are also the partnership projects between the two sectors, he added.

He made clear that the plan contains 230 policies, 130 of them deal with the social aspects and the human development, while the others tackle the economic aspects, management, information technology, asserting that the plan designs to achieve transparency, integrity and accountability.

Al-Weqayyan affirmed that this development plan is a significant step toward a systematic start of the development efforts and vision toward achieving development, adding that, "This plan is the first development document to be approved since 1986 following a period short of agreed-upon documents that streamline development efforts.

He said that through approving, "The era of unsystematic growth ground to a halt through passing such plan to enter into the systematic growth that regulates the future development trajectory, especially as it focuses on economic, social and administrative aspects in the country.

He also made clear the plan includes some indicators and clear goals that define the state actions, noting that it is a document that guides the state to its development trend and lives up to the aspirations of the Kuwaiti society.
Finally, he also asserted the significance of the plan of the fiscal year (2010-2011) recently approved by the cabinet as it includes some state development projects, most important of them is the setting up of five joint stock companies on housing, health insurance and electric production. --- Kuwait Times