KUWAIT: A foreigner in Kuwait will soon be forced to pay KD 200 to issue a dependency visa for his wife and KD 150 for each child according to proposed recommendations to increase residency fees in Kuwait. The new fees are considered a 100 percent increase compared to the current fare which include KD 100 for the wife and children each.
Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah recently approved the new proposed new fees, as well as others to increase traffic fines, said informed sources. Tables containing he proposed increases will be submitted to the parliament within a few weeks to place them on its agenda pending discussion and approval, said the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The sources did not give a specific date as of when the proposals would be sent to the National Assembly or are expected to be debated there. If passed, it would be the first time in Kuwait’s history that MPs have approved increasing fees collected from expats to issue visas.
Nonoil income
The sources explained that due to the fall in oil prices, the new fees have been set in view of the state’s plans to cut down expanses and increase the fees collected for services that expats enjoy. This includes increasing the fees collected for residency visa and traffic fines, which have been unchanged for over 40 years, said the sources, noting that the current traffic fines have failed to deter law violators.
The sources meanwhile said that the new fees include paying KD 300 for a dependency visas issued by an expat for his parent; a fee that currently stands at KD 200. They Expats working in the public or private sectors already have to receive a minimum of KD400 monthly pay in order to be qualified to apply for a dependency visa to bring his wife, child or parent to Kuwait.
Meanwhile, the sources indicated that a 100 percent increase is proposed for visa renewal charges, becoming KD 20 instead of KD 10 for all types of visa. As for visit visas, the sources said that the fee would jump from KD 2 to KD 30 a month, while the visa would only be renewed for a maximum of three months.
Traffic fines
As far as traffic fines are concerned, the sources explained that the proposal suggests collecting KD 100 for jumping the red traffic lights, KD 40 for exceeding the speed limit by 20 kilometers, KD 60 for exceeding it by 30 kilometers, KD 80 for exceeding it by 40 kilometers and KD 100 for exceeding it by 50 kilometers. “Most fines have been doubled, as those that currently cost KD 10-15 would cost KD 20-30,” added the sources.
140,000 workers
In other news, Secretary general of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (SCPD) Dr Khaled Mahdi said that 140,000 laborers are expected to enter Kuwait this summer to execute projects included in the 2016-2017 development plan, including biofuel plant’s project which alone requires over 40,000 laborers.
The SCPD can easily predict the numbers of expats expected to enter Kuwait through assessing the numbers needed per project, Mahdi added. The requited laborers would leave Kuwait once the projects they work in are concluded., Mahdi stressed.
Commenting on the efforts exerted to increase the number of national labor in the private sector, Mahdi said that several meetings had been held with Kuwait University officials to create a connection between the outcome of the educational process and the local market’s needs. – Al-Rai
