Harbi urged to cancel new health charges for expats
Lawyer submits appeal MPs slam Sabeeh for hiring expats
Lawyer Hashem Ahmad Al-Rifae submitted a grievance and an appeal to Health Minister Dr Jamal AlHarbi to cancel the new health fees to be imposed on expats. He said in his letter that the decision will have negative repercussions and will harm citizens too, in addition to harming Kuwait’s reputation. “Kuwait is a humanitarian country of peace, and Kuwait gives aid to victims of natural catastrophes and wars regardless of their religion, origin or language,” he said.
Rifae said the decision contradicts Kuwait’s constitution as well as laws and rules that regulate services. He added law 1/1999 doesn’t permit the health ministry to impose new fees on those included in the health assurance scheme or increase any fees.
Earlier this month, Harbi issued two ministerial decrees to increase health fees paid by expatriates and visitors for using services at public hospitals and polyclinics. The new fee structure will go into effect on Oct 1. Kuwait has also implemented other anti-expat measures in recent months, including significantly hiking the fees for parents’ residency visas and raising electricity and water charges for apartment buildings that are mostly inhabited by expats, among others.
The moves come amid a campaign by some MPs against expatriates and their numbers. Foreigners make up around 70 percent of Kuwait’s population of 4.2 million. Yesterday, MPs continued their assault on Social Affairs Minister Hind Al-Sabeeh over papers and documents
leaked on social media that showed she allegedly appointed expats with salaries over KD 2,000. The MPs considered these appointments - based on the rewards system - as something against Kuwaitization and moves to rectify the demographic imbalance. The lawmakers warned Sabeeh she could be grilled. MP Saleh Ashour said the government makes citizens “hate” expats through random appointments, inflated salaries and unnecessary incentives such as free education and healthcare for some. MP Abdulkareem Al-Kandari said Kuwaiti graduates in the accounting and law professions find it “strange” that expats are continued to be appointed in these specialties. He said documents leaked on social media show expat advisors were given major pay increases of over KD 3,000.