Figures provided by the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) show that various debts owed to the authority total of nearly five million dinars.
Responding to a question in parliament by MP Khalil Al-Saleh, the Minister of Information and State Minister for Youth Affairs Mohammad Al-Jabri said that the total value of overdue debts to PAAAFR until the end of September was worth KD4,469,054, including KD60,588 which has been deemed difficult to collect.
Elaborating on the debt that was difficult to collect, the minister reported that this amount had been embezzled by two expatriate staff who have since fled the country. He added that the government had issued judicial warrants through Interpol for the arrest of the two men.
The minister went on to clarify that it was not within the purview of PAAAFR to collect this debt as there were concerned state entities responsible for arresting the suspects and collecting the sums owed.
Saying that PAAAFR had done all it could to retrieve the debts, Minister Al-Jabri added that in the fiscal year 2018-2019 the Authority had formed a team to follow-up and collect the debts from the concerned parties and individuals.
Furthermore, he pointed out that KD488,214 owed to the Authority was in the form of private company debts incurred in the form of tenders, fines, delays, revenues and debts owed by individuals who had been unlawfully paid salaries and allowances.
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