KUWAIT: Expatriates may become assured that they will not have to pay five percent fees on their money transfers outside Kuwait, as the parliament legislative committee found a constitutional violation in the Parliamentary proposal that calls for enforcing the fee.

Meanwhile, the committee approved a proposal to require compulsory education for children born in Kuwait at the government’s expense. Rapporteur of the Legislative Committee MP Ahmad Al-Qudhaibi said there is a constitutional violation in the proposal in regards to imposing a five percent fee on financial transfers made by expats.

Therefore, the panel decided to seek the opinion of the constitutional experts’ team at the assembly, Qudhaibi said. Committee member Abdelrahman Al-Jeeran said the adaptation of the five percent fee on transfers goes under the tax item and asked “what are the services rendered so tax can be imposed?” he asked, arguing that taxes are not allowed under sharia laws.

Meanwhile, Jeeran said the committee approved a proposed law making education compulsory for non-Kuwaitis born in Kuwait, and the government would bear the expenses. This law covers the stages from kindergarten through the middle school stage. — Al-Rai