KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receives National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem and chairmen of parliamentary committees yesterday. — KUNA KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receives National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem and chairmen of parliamentary committees yesterday. — KUNA

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah told MPs yesterday that planned government measures to reduce subsidies will not undermine the income of Kuwaiti citizens but are aimed at countering the existing financial situation. He also told members of three National Assembly panels, including the financial and economic affairs committee, that subsidies will be made available to all sections of the society and those who want to consume more will have to pay the cost of this extra consumption, MP Abdulrahman Al-Jeeran cited the Amir as saying. The Amir also said this does not represent anything beyond the capability of citizens.

Head of the Assembly's priority issues committee MP Yousef Al-Zalzalah said the Amir analyzed the financial situation in the country and provided solutions for the issues. Zalzalah said the Amir assured MPs that the government will continue to provide services to citizens and ensure they continue to live a dignified life. The Amir also called on the Assembly and the government to cooperate to overcome the current financial situation, adding that Kuwait will be capable to do this if available resources are utilized in the best way.

Zalzalah said MPs said they will abide by what the Amir said because this is the way out for the economic problems facing the country. The government and Assembly have failed to strike a deal on a way to reduce subsidies on petrol, electricity and water as part of the government's economic reform plans. So far, the two sides have held a series of meetings and MPs have resisted plans to hike electricity charges, saying it will harm low- and middle-income citizens. More meetings are planned and the government hopes to convince the Assembly before the new fiscal year takes effect on April 1. Local newspaper Al-Anbaa quoted finance ministry undersecretary yesterday as saying the government plans to start hiking electricity charges in 2017.

The Assembly's health committee meanwhile told Health Minister Ali Al-Obaidi that they want that the new Jaber Hospital in South Surra to be reserved exclusively for Kuwaiti patients. Rapporteur of the committee MP Saadoun Hammad said the committee also asked the minister that the hospital should include all specializations in a bid to reduce the number of Kuwaiti patients sent abroad, which has become a controversial issue after the government decided to cut spending on it.

During the meeting, MPs also asked the minister to amend some provisions in new rules issued by the ministry recently to cut expenditures for sending patients abroad. During a debate on the issue last week, the Assembly was told that allocations for this item were a mammoth KD 441 million in the current fiscal year.

By B Izzak