Citing ministry undersecretary Essa Mohammed Al-Oun, the report said, “The decision to set up [the] department was made by Energy Minister Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahd al- Sabah [and] the new department will study bidding documents from petroleum companies to guarantee justice and fairness between bidders.”

“The department will participate in preparing lists of contractors and accredited importers through a classification committee [and] it will also look into and address complaints submitted by companies and contractors. It will also conduct field search and follow up implementations of contracts and purchase orders of petroleum companies.

“The establishment of the new department [is] in accordance with the ministry’s strategics which [are] aimed at activating [our] supervisory role in the oil sector,” added Essa.