MP Abdullah Abul

KUWAIT: MP Abdullah Abul called on Finance Minister yesterday to cut generous benefits offered to some expatriate employees in many government ministries and departments to help reduce budget deficit. The lawmaker said that many expatriate employees in government departments and state-owned authorities are granted benefits like comprehensive health insurance for them and their families, allowances for housing, furniture and air tickets for their families, in addition to cars, education for their children at foreign schools and other benefits.

The lawmaker said a reduction to these benefits will certainly help save some of sizeable expenditures in the government efforts to finance the budget deficit which resulted from the drop in oil prices. Abul demanded a list of all expatriates employed by government departments and authorities working in the insurance, investment , financial and others.

The list should include the monthly and annual cost of the employees and the value of monthly and annual wages of the expatriate employees. He also demanded a detailed list of the benefits those employees receive from their government employers. The lawmaker asked the minister if the ministry of finance had previously asked the government departments to cut the generous benefits provided to expatriates.

Meanwhile MP Abdulhameed Dashti called on the government to ensure the participation of citizens in at least 50 percent of new projects with the investor taking 26 percent and the government keeping the remaining 24 percent. The lawmaker said that the government should use state reserves to pay for the citizens' participation in those projects through Initial Public Offering (IPO).

By B Izzak