MP seeks Assembly voice on gasoline price hike
Public sector payroll to hit $43b in 3 years
By Abubakar A. Ibrahim
KUWAIT CITY, Aug 24: MP Khalil Al-Saleh has submitted a proposal to amend Article Two of decree No. 95/79 on the fees for public facilities and services, indicating the government should not increase the prices of oil derivatives such as gasoline unless it is through a law ratified by the Parliament.
Speaking to reporters, Saleh explained the government cannot increase electricity and water charges without referring to the Parliament but this is not the case with gasoline, so he decided to present this proposal. He pointed out the allegation that other Gulf countries raised the price of gasoline is inaccurate, because these countries addressed the issue quickly and compensated their citizens.
He argued the solutions and alternatives presented by the government are not feasible due to difficulties in preventing manipulations. He said KUWAIT CITY, Aug 24: The total amount of salaries paid to employees in the public sector is expected to increase to KD 13 billion in the next three years — double of last year’s KD 6.2 million.
A report published by arabianbusiness.com recently revealed that the Kuwaiti government has expressed concern over the payroll for workers in ministries and other public institutions, taking into consideration the budget deficit that has resulted from the decline in oil prices.
According to the report, the public sector pay in three years’ time will be equivalent to 70 percent of the State budget for 2016 — estimated at KD 19 billion.
The report added the salaries of employees in ministries increased six-fold in the past 24 years.
Kuwait spends around KD 5 billion annually for subsidies and KD 4 billion of which go to electricity, gasoline and food. “The question is: Do all Kuwaitis benefit from these subsidies? Of course not, hence, the need to rationalize subsidies to
ensure they go to the rightful beneficiaries,” he added.
He urged the government to grant every citizen cash allowance once the decision to increase gasoline prices takes effect, especially since there was no time to amend the law in order to mandate the executive authority to consult the Parliament before taking such decisions.
Meanwhile, MP Saud Al-Hareeji has requested for intensified security presence in Jahra due to the spread of violence and other crimes in the governorate, particularly the assault on securitymen. He added that although Minister of Interior Sheikh Mohammad Khaled took the right step when he stressed the need to strictly implement security regulations, the current situation in Jahra necessitates heavy security presence.
He called on the director of Jahra Security Directorate to go down the streets, revise security plans in dealing with isolated incidents, listen to the complaints of residents and deploy more security officers to deter criminals.
In another development, Deputy Parliament Speaker Mubarak Al-Khrainej, MPs Askar Al-Anzi, Faris Al-Otaibi and Mansour Al-Zufairi have voice objection to the Public Authority for Housing Welfare’s plan to increase the monthly installment for government houses by 100 percent — from KD 60 to KD 120. They stressed that any increase in housing care will be an additional financial burden for the middle class.
They asserted the government can save money to cover the budget deficit only by stopping public funds wastage, citing the unnecessary expenditures in ministries and other State institutions.