Hayef warns to grill PM over bedoons - Hajraf questions plot distribution

Khalil Al-Saleh

KUWAIT: MP Khalil Al-Saleh yesterday called on the government to completely drop the idea of imposing charges on public services as a means of boosting non-oil revenues, saying that verbal assurances are not sufficient. He said that in order for the government to provide strong assurances, it must exclude raising charges on public services from its program of economic reforms in the same way it excluded taxes on companies.

The lawmaker called on the finance minister to quickly answer a question he sent to him on why the government economic reform plan included the intention to raise charges on public services while it dropped plans to impose taxes on companies. Saleh's remarks came as Finance Minister Nayef Al-Hajraf reiterated the government's determination to continue with economic reforms that include subsidy cuts despite the surge in oil prices, which provide around 90 percent of public revenues.

Between late 2014 when oil prices crashed and last year, the government introduced several measures to boost non-oil revenues, including raising fuel and power charges, but most of them targeted expatriates in the country. The government also raised medical charges for expatriates.

Meanwhile, MP Mohammad Hayef, a member of the National Assembly's human rights committee, yesterday warned that he may file to grill the prime minister if the government continues to ignore providing a humanitarian solution to thousands of stateless people, locally known as bedoons. Hayef charged that the central agency for bedoons has so far failed to provide a viable solution that provides essential services for some 120,000 bedoons living in Kuwait.

The remarks came after a meeting between the Assembly panel and bedoons agency to study ways to resolve the humanitarian concerns of bedoons. Acting secretary general of the agency Najib Al-Othman said he briefed the Assembly panel about the measures taken by the agency toward a group of bedoons who had obtained fake third-country passports or those who were never registered by the agency.

He said that the agency began implementing an agreement with the Assembly to provide those bedoons with health cards that allow them to obtain essential services from the government, adding that the agency had communications with over 70 government departments regarding the issue. He said that the agency has boosted cooperation with the Assembly panel to resolve problems facing bedoons.

Separately, MP Mubarak Al-Hajraf yesterday charged that Commerce and Industry Minister Khaled Al-Roudhan misled the government over the distribution of industrial plots in two projects that were not ready. He said that the minister announced the distribution in the two projects which were supposed to have been completed, but work has not even started on them. The lawmaker said he will include the new "scandal" in a grilling he plans to file shortly against the minister.

By B Izzak