MPs make more threats to grill ministers over number of issues

KUWAIT: MP Khalil Al-Saleh, who heads a National Assembly committee to find jobs for Kuwaitis, yesterday called on the government to introduce a quota system for expatriates and to tax their remittances to their home countries. The lawmaker said expatriates are spending less in the country compared to their large remittances, and accordingly, taxes must be imposed on their remittances.


Saleh said on his Twitter account that the government must take stern measures against visa traders and implement the so-called quota system on expatriates. The quota system, which calls for imposing a cap on various expat communities, has been already proposed a number of times in the Assembly but was never debated. Based on various proposals, the system calls to limit the size of any expat community to around five percent of the population, which means that large numbers of Indians, Egyptians, Bangladeshis and Filipinos must be forced to leave.
The lawmakers said that it was illogical that some 20,000 Kuwaitis are jobless, adding that replacing expatriates employed in government jobs has become a popular and parliamentary demand and a necessary decision. Saleh said that the presence of a large number of unskilled or marginal expat manpower eats up the country's resources.


Meanwhile, MP Riyadh Al-Adasani reiterated yesterday that he will file to grill Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah over a number of issues and warned Finance Minister Nayef Al-Hajraf that his grilling is very near. The lawmaker charged that detectives who questioned him over a case at the public prosecution have faked the outcome of the investigation, saying that the decision to grill the interior minister is irreversible.


Adasani was referred for investigation after a former lawmaker sued him for accusing him of receiving money from the prime minister's office. Adasani said that he only repeated what the ex-MP had himself said on TV, and charged that the interior ministry has manipulated the investigation. The lawmaker also said that he learned that the public prosecution has shelved cases against a number of MPs, former MPs and businessmen who were under investigation for their inflated bank accounts and suspected money laundering.


Adasani called on the finance minister to appeal against the shelving of the cases, otherwise he will file to grill him. MP Al-Humaidi Al-Subaiei said that he will announce on Sunday that he will file to grill the minister of social affairs and labor for suspending social aid to around 3,000 Kuwaiti women in violation of the law.

By B Izzak