The Kuwaiti government has unveiled new measures aimed at expediting major development projects to address ongoing administrative obstacles and enhance the efficiency of project completions. A recent report underscores that these projects have faced considerable delays, primarily due to slow contractual procedures, challenges in obtaining necessary approvals, and prolonged documentation cycles. The government is actively working to streamline these processes to overcome such hurdles and accelerate development.
According to the report, major government projects typically require over 420 days to complete all procedures involved in offering them to investors. This process includes several stages: investor qualification (90 days), preparation of tender documents (90 days), obtaining approvals from regulatory authorities (60 days), and completing auction procedures (180 days). This timeline does not account for additional delays caused by securing approvals or allocating financial resources, which can further extend the process.
One of the primary obstacles identified is the slow documentary cycle within government departments, which accounts for over 40% of the challenges that hinder project progress. Many agreements that were initially expected to take one year to finalize have been delayed for up to three years, often due to complexities involved in collaborating with other ministries and agencies.
In response to these challenges, the government has placed a high priority on speeding up the execution of development projects. The General Secretariat for Planning has been tasked with coordinating efforts to identify the obstacles impeding faster completion and proposing solutions to overcome them. The Planning Department has already begun holding workshops with various government agencies to tackle these challenges and improve project timelines. These initiatives have already contributed to a reduction in administrative hurdles, improving the completion rates of some projects.
To address the slow pace, the government is focusing on streamlining documentation cycles, improving cooperation between ministries, and accelerating decision-making processes. The ultimate goal is to ensure that major development projects contribute meaningfully to Kuwait’s Vision 2035, which seeks to foster economic diversification and infrastructure growth.
By addressing the underlying complexities that have hindered progress, the government aims to boost the completion rates of these vital initiatives and enhance the overall efficiency of Kuwait’s development strategy.
