KUWAIT, April 20 (KUNA) -- The government is seriously keen on carrying out the development strategy with up to 13 mega and vital projects to be executed in the first year of the plan, a senior official affirmed on Tuesday.

Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Minister of State for Development Affairs and Minister of State for Housing Affairs, said during a meeting with state departments' leaders today that the first planned project would be the signing of the contract of the 1,100-bed Jaber Hospital, due to be delivered in four years.
The second venture is the construction of Boubyan port, currently in the phase of contracting, designing and assessment of the tender, Sheikh Ahmad said. He forecast the signing to be in two months, to be followed with the airport expansion project to accomodate 20 million people. He indicated that the execution of this venture would be complete in five years.
He indicated at signing the last of the contracts for Jaber Al-Ahmad, Saad Al-Abdullah and Sabah Al-Ahmad towns, in addition to the northwest Sulaibikhat housing project, the causeway that would extend from the United Nations to Al-Jahraa roundabouts, as well as Jamal Abdel Nasser road due in four years.
Elaborating on the already signed contracts, Sheikh Ahmad mentioned Al-Sabbiah power station and Al-Zor reactor, due to be tendered. However, he indicated that this project might be launched after formation of a public shareholding company.
Citing other vital ventures, he indicated at the Kuwait University project, due to be finalized in 2014, adding that the feasibility studies of the Silk City and Boubyan Port had been finalized and would be submitted to the National Assembly in September or October.
Privatization of Kuwait Airways will be done during the current fiscal year, he said, indicating at preparatory work for establishing five companies -- including a company for social security.
Land lots have been specified for the company of the border checkpoints and warhouses, he said, declaring completition of the establishment of the companies for the production of the power and Al-Khairan town.
He affirmed capacity of the government departments of overcoming the difficulties in the execution of the strategy, adding that the annual plan had been upgraded in coordination with the relevant departments.

Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad added that the parliament had expressed "technical remarks" on the annual plan regarding the required national labor, the budgets and distribution of annual profits.
The law of the annual plan that includes 833 projects, projected to cost KD 4.8 billion dinars, would be blessed by the parliament, Sheikh Ahmad said, affirming the "execution responsibility" would be shouldered by the government.
A report will be submitted to the cabinet every three months to pin point the flaws and snags obstructing the execution of the plan as well as proposed remedies, he said.
The annual plan is attached with 45 proposed laws that should be adopted in two years, the minister said indicating that a team of legal experts is giving a hand in this respect.
For his part, the Finance Undersecretary, Khalifa Hamadeh, said funds for some projects have not been earmarked because some of the terms have not been met -- such as the allocation of lots of land and providing a timetable.
He said a bill would be drafted in July for the next budget. - Kuna