MP Riyadh Al-Adasani

KUWAIT: Opposition lawmaker Riyadh Al-Adasani yesterday warned of "scores of grillings" against ministers if the government takes unilateral decisions that could affect the cost of living and wages. The warning comes as several MPs have accused the government of attempting to reduce the assistance paid to Kuwaitis accepting private sector jobs prompting a lawmaker to propose raising that assistance.

Adasani said that the government must coordinate with the national assembly especially its budgets committee regarding issues could impact the cost of living, wages and the work environment, warning that any decisions on such issues could open the door for many grillings.

He claimed that recent decisions by the council of ministers have negatively impacted the idea of encouraging Kuwaitis to seek employment in the private sector to reduce pressure on government employment.

He said that encouraging Kuwaitis to work in the private sector will reduce the financial burden on state coffers and accordingly the government should not undermine the mechanism of supporting nationals employed in the private sector.

The government has been paying monthly assistance to Kuwaitis who decide to work in the private sector during the past several years but recently several lawmakers have claimed that the government policy on this issue has changed. But Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Al-Sabeeh stressed yesterday that nothing has changed concerning the monthly aid given to national employees in the private sector.

The reported reduction of the assistance yesterday promoted MP Khaled Al-Otaibi to submit a draft law proposing that the amount of the assistance is increased to all categories and such help cannot be changed without a law by the national assembly. He proposed that aid given to doctors, engineers and pharmacists should be increased to KD. 500 per month in addition to social and cost of living allowances.

In the meantime, MP Saleh Ashour reiterated yesterday that he will file to grill the minister of social affairs and labor at the start of the new session starting next month if she does not answer his questions.

Ashour had asked the minister to provide him with complaints submitted by four ministries against Al-Thaqalain charity society that made Sabeeh dissolve the society for alleged wrongdoings. The lawmaker, who headed the society, had repeatedly claimed that the society committed no offences in its work and challenged the minister to provide evidence for its allegations.

By B Izzak