MP Hamdan Al-Azmi

KUWAIT: The government’s unilateral decision to increase fuel prices has already stirred tensions in its relationship with the parliament, as several MPs reportedly plan to file grilling motions over the issue. MP Hamdan Al-Azmi is expected soon to file an interpellation against Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Acting Minister of Oil Anas Al- Saleh over the increase decision, sources said, adding that several lawmakers have already voiced their support for the motion.

Meanwhile, MP Ahmad Al-Qudhaibi is also close to file a grilling against Minister of Commerce and Industry Yousuf Al-Ali over the minister’s decision to suspend freezing prices of goods in Kuwait only three months after he made that decision in anticipation of the fuel prices increase.

The government’s decision to increase fuel prices, which went into effect last Thursday, has put public pressure on MPs as they prepare for elections next year, the sources suggested. Meanwhile, head of the parliament’s financial committee MP Faisal Al-Shaya called the government to suspend the issuance of free fuel coupons to ministers, lawmakers, Municipal Council members and senior state officials, saying that this would achieve social justice.

Strikes

In other news, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah stressed the need to introduce new regulations to regulate strikes in vital and strategic institutions, including ‘tougher restrictions’ in that regard. “It could be appropriate to reconsider the punishments which remain disproportionate with some actions that could harm the national economy, or use strikes for political purposes,” the minister said in response to a draft law proposed by MP Dr Adel Al-Kharafi on organizing the right of strike for public and private sector employees.

Expats

Separately, a government official criticized a recent international report which recognized Kuwait as the worst country for expatriates in the world. “Several international organizations have applauded Kuwait’s efforts in protecting labor rights through the activation of workers’ protection regulations according to international standards,” said Hind Al- Subaih, the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and State Minister for Planning and Development. She also suggested that the increasing number of expatriates in Kuwait on an annual basis comes to refute the accusations in the report which was released last week by InterNations.org.

The minister also announced that a team was assigned at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor to study the report and identify the standards based on which it made its conclusions, adding that coordination was also established with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on that regard.