Deficit rooted in oil price decline
KUWAIT CITY, Oct 23, (KUNA): Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Anas Al-Saleh said Saturday the Kuwaiti economy, relying heavily on the oil revenues, suffers a budget deficit as a result of the 60 percent drop in oil prices in 2014.
The revenues nosedived while the expenditure remained almost the same in the last two years, AlSaleh, also acting minister of oil, said in an interview with Al-Rai TV tonight.
While the final account for FY 2014-2015 shows a surplus of KD 3.5 billion, that of FY 2015-2016 shows a real deficit of KD 4.6 billion resulting from the 60 percent decline in the revenues, he explained.
In last March, the government raised a document for economic reform, a package of measures for short-term and medium-term economic and financial reforms taking into account the objectives of the national development plan, he said.
The document covers the coming two-four years and focuses on six axes; first, the financial reform including the budgetary imbalances; second, the role of the state in the national economy; third, the contribution of the private sector to the economic growth; fourth, the citizens’ role in economic projects; fifth, the reforms of the labor market and the civil service system; and sixth, the legislative and institutional reforms.
“The document is the fruit of interagency cooperation, involving not only the ministry of finance but all government departments.
“The state departments started implementing the measures to rationalize expenditure which led to saving up to KD 900 million a year and cutting down the budget deficit from the initially-projected KD 6.6 billion to KD 4.6 billion,” Al-Saleh revealed.
Asked about the aid provided by Kuwait to friendly countries over the last 15 years, he said Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) offers loans at low interest rates.
“The assistances being offered by the Kuwait government represent only three percent of the budget,” he said, adding that the goverment started putting caps on the budgets of the various state departments two years ago.
The minister highlighted the need for the coming National Assembly to endorse the document and maintain cooperation with the government.
Al-Saleh noted that despite the inability of the government to get a parliamentary approval of some decisions such as the hike of electricity fees, the relationship between the executive and the legislative authorities was mainly marked by cooperation.
“The legislative authority, backed by the confidence of the people, and the executive authority, backed by the confidence of His Highness the Amir, were able to reach compromise on the fuel price rise.