Kuwait will scrap a 15-billion dollar project to build a new oil refinery after an independent watchdog said the project was not feasible, the prime minister said in comments published Sunday.
"The government is committed to the Audit Bureau report, and the council of ministers will officially halt the project at its next meeting," which takes place on Monday, Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah told Al-Watan daily.
Kuwait in May awarded contracts to build the 630,000-barrels per day refinery to four South Korean companies and a Japanese firm and later signed letters of intent with them.
The deals prompted a dispute between the government and opposition MPs who alleged the bidding process and awarding of contracts involved flawed procedures.
MPs said the contracts should have been awarded through the state-run Central Tenders Committee (CTC) to ensure transparency, and vowed they would quiz the oil minister if the contracts were signed.
The Gulf state's government in August bowed to political pressure and referred the project to the Audit Bureau for an investigation.
Though the outcome of the report was not published, local media and MPs said the Bureau concluded that the project was technically and economically not feasible and should go through the CTC.
In December, Kuwait scrapped a 7.5-billion dollar partnership with US Dow Chemical after pressure from MPs, citing high cost amid the global economic downturn.
"The government is committed to the Audit Bureau report, and the council of ministers will officially halt the project at its next meeting," which takes place on Monday, Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah told Al-Watan daily.
Kuwait in May awarded contracts to build the 630,000-barrels per day refinery to four South Korean companies and a Japanese firm and later signed letters of intent with them.
The deals prompted a dispute between the government and opposition MPs who alleged the bidding process and awarding of contracts involved flawed procedures.
MPs said the contracts should have been awarded through the state-run Central Tenders Committee (CTC) to ensure transparency, and vowed they would quiz the oil minister if the contracts were signed.
The Gulf state's government in August bowed to political pressure and referred the project to the Audit Bureau for an investigation.
Though the outcome of the report was not published, local media and MPs said the Bureau concluded that the project was technically and economically not feasible and should go through the CTC.
In December, Kuwait scrapped a 7.5-billion dollar partnership with US Dow Chemical after pressure from MPs, citing high cost amid the global economic downturn.
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