The Washington-based IMF has urged Kuwait to accelerate the execution of its planned privatisations and public-private partnership projects (PPPs).

“While progress was made in building stronger legal and institutional frameworks in recent years, privatisations and PPPs have yet to gather momentum,” said the IMF in its concluding statement after an Article IV mission to Kuwait on 15 November. “Given their significant potential in raising productivity and encouraging a greater role for the private sector, the mission encourages the authorities to accelerate the execution of the planned privatisations and PPPs, provided they are implemented transparently and competitively.”

Some PPP schemes have already been awarded. In early September, the Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) has selected a consortium to develop the planned Kabd municipal solid waste project, which will be developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

A consortium led by France’s Constructions Industrielles de La Mediterranee (CNIM) has been selected to develop the waste-to-energy project, which is planned to have an initial capacity of 3,275 tonnes a day (t/d) and will treat up to half of the country’s municipal waste.

Kuwait is also tendering several other PPPs. In late October, The Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) and Kuwait Municipality shortlisted firms for the build, operate and transfer (BOT) contract for the South Jahra Labour City.

In September, KAPP received prequalification responses from investors for five public-private partnership (PPP) schemes at Jaber al-Ahmad and Sabah al-Ahmad cities.