Efforts fulfilled in Al-Saleh's career

Ministry of Commerce:

• Anas Al-Saleh served as the Minister of Commerce and Industry in the Kuwaiti government for a two-year tenure. His primary areas of emphasis included the modernization of the ministry's infrastructure by implementing service automation, promoting the growth of commercial and industrial sectors, and ensuring the protection of consumer rights.
• One of the significant accomplishments during Anas Al-Saleh's tenure was the development of new corporate law and its corresponding executive regulations, as well as the commercial licenses law and their associated executive regulations. These legal reforms were aimed at streamlining the local business environment, making it more business-friendly, and attracting foreign capital. They also simplified the processes for establishing foreign companies and branches within the State of Kuwait.
• Additionally, Anas Al-Saleh played a pivotal role in the enhancement of the Public Authority for Industry, with a focus on making it more adaptable and efficient. This effort included strengthening its financial resources and improving its administrative functions. Furthermore, he was instrumental in the development of industrial plots in Sabhan, Al-Shaddia, and Al-Naim regions, making them more attractive to potential investors.
• Recognizing the significance of the Kuwait Stock Exchange, "BURSA KUWAIT," Anas Al-Saleh took measures to enforce accounting principles by suspending and revoking the licenses of numerous companies that had long delayed the preparation of their balance sheets. This action was aimed at ensuring transparency and adherence to financial regulations within the stock market, highlighting the importance of financial accountability.
• Anas Al-Saleh placed a strong emphasis on the significance of craftsmen and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the private sector. To support their growth and development, he initiated legislative reforms that established the legal framework for SMEs to expand their operations. Al-Saleh also took steps to assist small and medium-sized entrepreneurs through the implementation of laws, ministerial directives, and various initiatives. These measures were designed to create the necessary infrastructure and conditions that would enable more advanced and prosperous activities within the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• A series of resolutions were enacted by the Ministry to enhance the effectiveness of consumer protection rights. These measures were further strengthened by the establishment of a legal framework that ensured and safeguarded the rights of consumers.
• At the level of enhancing international partnership, Minister Anas Al-Saleh adopted the establishment of Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority in 2013 to attract and encourage direct investments into the country with added value and stimulate innovation with the aim of promoting and localizing advanced technology and modern technical and marketing expertise. The Authority succeeded in attracting many major international companies Such as Boeing, Huawei, IBM, and others in various business fields.
• Anas K. Al-Saleh served as the Minister of Finance from 2014 to 2017, where he pursued financial and economic reforms aimed at addressing challenges and ensuring the long-term sustainability of Kuwait. His efforts received recognition and praise from notable organizations, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, credit rating agencies, and others. In recognition of his accomplishments, he was honored with the "Minister of Finance of the Year" award by The Banker magazine in 2017.
• Kuwait was able to uphold its sovereign credit ratings during that timeframe, as assessed by several credit rating agencies, including Moody's Aa2, Fitch AA, and Standard & Poor's AA. This achievement can be attributed to the various reforms and measures implemented by the Ministry of Finance.

During his time as Minister of Finance, the Ministry initiated the National Plan for Economic and Financial Reform, known as "Estidama," in the second quarter of 2016. This plan encompassed over 50 initiatives and involved collaboration with various relevant organizations and entities. Its primary goal was to tackle the structural challenges facing the state and to enhance financial and economic sustainability.

The reform plan covered four themes:

(1) Balancing public finances

(2) Restructuring the labour market

(3) Boosting the private sector

(4) Improving the government’s quality services to businesses.

• He worked on establishing fiscal planning and analytics capabilities at the Ministry of Finance, through the set-up of a technical team at MoF; with advanced strategy and analytics capabilities to support policymaking and manage a medium-term fiscal plan and model for Kuwait’s public finances.
• Kuwait witnessed the first-ever international sovereign debt issuance - establishment and operationalisation of the Debt Management Department at the Ministry of Finance, culminating in a highly successful international bond issuance in March 2016, reaching a USD 8 BN transaction and achieving the lowest interest rate spreads amongst GCC peers at the time of issuance.
• To diversify the Government revenue – Mr. Anas Al-Saleh instructed Ministry of Finance to conducted a comprehensive study to enhance non-oil revenue through re pricing government services, adopting a cost-to-serve model. Once implemented, this initiative could generate up to KD 1 BN of yearly incremental revenue across re pricing more than 10,000 reviewed services.
• In parallel to the process of diversifying government income sources, a study was conducted to improve the productivity and costs of the civil service and the labor market and support the employment of the national workforce in the private sector, which led to the introduction of the wage reform law and its referral to the National Assembly to unify the civil service wage model and achieve the highest levels of transparency, justice and control over.
• Given the importance of the state budget for rationalizing spending and controlling expenditures, the first renewable medium-term budget for a period of 3 years was conducted for the State of Kuwait in response to the introduction of budget ceilings to reduce and control expenses and the development of the budget accounting system from the FIS system to the GFMIS system.
• Mr. Anas Al-Saleh carried out the Ministry of Oil portfolio in 2015.He participated in forming “An Initial agreement" between the members of OPEC in their extraordinary meeting which was held in Algeria in September 2016, in addition to the effective participation to reach a final detailed agreement between OPEC members that was approved in the ministers meeting in Vienna in November 2016.
• He also represented State of Kuwait in the efforts led by Russia to join the non-OPEC countries to the ever historic agreement to reduce production of oil between OPEC members and non-OPEC oil-producing countries in December 2016, which is known as "Declaration of Cooperation".
• He also worked on obtaining the confidence of the 24 participant countries in the "“Declaration of Cooperation''. As result, Kuwait presided over “the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee " (JMMC) as well the Joint Technical Committee (JTC).

Efforts fulfilled at Ministry of State for Cabinet Affairs:

• Taking over the portfolio of the Ministry of State for Cabinet Affairs represented a new phase of Mr. Anas Al-Saleh's duties in the Kuwaiti government. The ministry is one of the ministries with a different nature of work. He worked on raising the efficiency of coordination effectiveness and control harmony between the various ministers, and the agreement to perform the government's work program at all levels, follow up on cabinet decisions in terms of executions and measure the degree of impact.
• During his tenure in post, Kuwait witnessed the first referral of some members of Central Agency for public Tenders to the Public Prosecution and Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority, where the courts sentenced its verdicts, this aimed to activate Article 83 of the Central Agency for public Tenders Law in confronting the administrative and financial corruption. In addition to the herein mentioned above, a new law issued and approved for the Central Agency for public Tenders to grant the companies, small and medium enterprises the advantages and preference to bid for the government tenders and this encouraged the national productions and national companies.
• With regard to Legal advice and Legislation Department and based on the emphasis on supporting investment in the national human resources, the door was opened to recruit national lawyers of category (B) at the department after long years of keeping on hold the recruitments of that position. This step came to enhance the efficiency of the state’s legislative and legal system through the Commission of Legal advice and Legislation which is considered the state’s attorney at law home and abroad.
• During his tenure as Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Anas Al-Saleh worked on developing Kuwait Fire Force (previously known as Kuwait Fire Service Directorate) by enacting a new law would have completed its transfer the ranks of the country's military sectors for the integration with the services of Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior.
• The process of upgrading firemen and investment in the national manpower came through enhancing the work of the Fire force by graduating the first batch of engineering diploma officers of 94 graduates, in addition to increasing the earnings of the force’s personnel and achieving progress in the digital transformation, as 80% of preventive licenses are now issued electronically, this led to facilitate and accelerate the transaction process and facilitate it.
• In respect of supporting the efforts of Kuwait Fire Force to enhance the goals of security achievements, its mechanisms were upgraded to raise the efficiency in dealing with natural disasters, serious accidents and health epidemics.
• Minister Anas Al-Saleh also activated the role of the Central Agency for Information Technology to develop the electronic services at the level of government agencies in general, during the period of the new Corona pandemic in special. CAIT played major role in developing applications connected to the epidemic Covid19.

Efforts fulfilled at Ministry Interior:

• Mr. Anas Al-Saleh assumed the portfolio of the Ministry of Interior. He is the first minister took over this post from outside the Ruling dynasty since the foundation of MOI. He took over this post for the period from December 2019 until February 2021. During that time the world and Kuwait witnessed Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
• Many strict measures were taken to protect the citizens from the repercussions of Covid-19 by the immediate dealing with the residency law violators and evacuating thousands of them to mitigate their impact on the pandemic situation in the country, while the laws related to riots were strictly enforced in the centers of violators' shelters, taking into considerations the humanitarian aspects.
• The Ministry was also keen during that period to enforce the laws and procedures for the purpose of combating human trafficking by referring 417 companies to the General prosecution, with a total of 526 accused persons charged of residency trade. In many cases, final judgments were issued against officials, companies owners, citizens and residents.
• Ensuring the safety of quarantines, field hospitals, and the specialized hospitals received the cases infected by Covid-19 were at the top of the priorities of Minister Anas Al-Saleh and MOI teams. Enforced the partial and full curfew measures strictly with deterrence and countering attempts to breach security during the period of the Curfew.
• As for the development of administrative work within the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry has succeeded in automating 70% of its services, as it is the largest service ministry in the country by providing more than 3 million transactions to citizens and residents that were completed in a short time, which reflected positively on the ease of obtaining Services and their speed.
• In respect of the Public Authority for Civil Information, its databases and qualified staff were used to be the initial indicator for launching the government electronic platforms before and during the Covid-19 crisis such as launching electronic mobile ID(Kuwait Mobile ID) as a way to prove the personal identity as an alternative to the card (a card), The application is currently used by 1.5 million people as an approved identity in public and private institutions
• In addition to supporting the efforts of PACI Service to assist state institutions and government agencies in establishing many platforms at the peak of Covid -19 pandemic, including "SHLONIK" for tracking those infected with the Coronavirus or contacts. “META’’ platform was launched for booking appointments in reviewing the official circles.
• Mr. Anas Al-Saleh supervised the success of the first election process to the National Assembly (Nation 2020) under the challenges of Covid-19, which ensured for all a healthy, democratic and transparent atmosphere under the focus of observers from the "transparency”, "national integrity" and "journalists" associations, this was praised by local and international organizations.

Legislation endeavors at Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Interior:

• The Companies Law promulgated by Decree No. (25) of year 2012 and its amendment issued by Law No. (97) of year 2013, and the executive regulations of the Companies Law with the aim of treating the deficiencies in the business field as a result of the many years that have passed since the issuance of the previous Companies Law issued in 1960.
• Law No. (98) of 2013 related to the National Fund for Small and Medium Enterprises Development, with the aim of treating the fundamental imbalance in the sources of income for the State of Kuwait and its heavy dependence on oil as a main source of income.
• Law No. (111) of 2013 in the matter of organizing commercial shop licenses and its implementing regulations, which contributed to the regulation of business licenses after nearly 44 years had passed since the issuance of the previous Law No. (32) of 1969.
• Law No. (116) of 2013 in the matter of encouraging direct investment in the State of Kuwait and its implementing regulations to further harmonize with the requirements of the stage and make them include national investment as well as foreign investment.
• Law No. (116) of 2014 regarding partnership between the public and private sectors and its implementing regulations, as the new law focused on the regulatory framework for the implementation of partnership projects between the public and private sectors in a way that allows competition, distribution of risks, financing, and protection of citizen interests.
• Law No. (22) of 2015 amending Law No. (7) of 2010 regarding the establishment of the Capital Markets Authority and the regulation of securities activity, which introduced important definitions for the investment portfolio, the credit rating agency and financial derivatives, and laid the first block for the activity of the market maker and the necessity to issue a special regulation for this. Activity.
• Law No. (2) of 2012 amending some provisions of Law No. (10) of 2007 regarding the protection of competition, which gave full flexibility to the executive authority represented by the Council of Ministers in assessing the suitability that achieves the public interest.
• Law No. 13 of 2020 in the matter of the General Fire Force, which is the law that is considered a quantum leap in the history of the fire brigade as well as the firefighters have done it completely.

Draft laws which were referred to Kuwait National Assembly:

Several draft laws were presented to the Kuwait National Assembly during Anas K. Al-Saleh's tenure as the Minister of Finance. These included:

1. Draft Law for the Naturalization of Kuwaiti Citizens' Wives: This draft law aimed to regulate the naturalization process for the wives of Kuwaiti citizens in a manner that considered humanitarian aspects while preserving the national identity.
2. Draft Law for Traffic Regulation: This legislation was designed to bring Kuwait's traffic regulations in line with international traffic laws, address traffic issues within the country, and enhance road safety by deterring traffic violators and reckless behavior.
3. Draft Law on Residency of Expatriates: This draft law focused on addressing deficiencies in the management of expatriate residency, criminalizing violations, and combatting residency violations. It sought to address population composition concerns and enhance societal security while holding sponsors responsible for the expenses related to deporting violating residents.
4. Draft Law for the National Elections Commission: This draft law aimed to establish a National Elections Commission with the goal of increasing transparency, integrity, and public confidence in the electoral process. The Commission's role was to ensure that election results accurately reflected the will of the voters.