KUWAIT: The Finance Ministry yesterday informed the National Assembly's financial and economic affairs committee that proposed increases on public services will not include basic services like electricity, water and health, rapporteur of the committee MP Safa Al-Hashem said. Hashem said during the meeting attended by Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali to discuss a government-proposed draft to law to increase charges on public services, the government provided extensive details about the bill.
The bill essential aims at giving a free hand to the government to increase charges on public services which have remained frozen for about 20 years when the Assembly passed a law in 1993 stipulating that there will be no increase of charges without a law from the Assembly. But Hashem said the committee is likely to reject the draft law, especially if it seeks to raise charges on services that have not been developed properly. MP Khalil Abdullah also said the Assembly is expected to reject the draft law because it does not want to raise charges on services.
Hashem said the committee demanded some details and explanations about the bill and a meeting will take place next week to discuss the details. She said the committee also discussed a draft law regarding the bad debt settlement program introduced in 1992 to bail out debtors from the crash of the unofficial Al-Manakh stock market in 1982. The lawmaker said the committee asked the government about the cost of the bill.
Meanwhile, the appeals court today holds its first session in the case of opposition figure and former MP Musallam Al-Barrak to review a five-year jail term handed to him by the criminal court last week on charges of insulting HH the Amir. The Opposition Coalition called on Kuwaitis to gather at Barrak's diwaniya late yesterday and march with him to the Palace of Justice today morning. Although the court ordered the jail term to be implemented immediately, Barrak has insisted on seeing the original arrest order to give himself up. He has repeatedly said that he is prepared to go to jail at any time if these documents are presented.
One of his defense lawyers, Thamer Al-Jadaei, said yesterday that Barrak will hand himself over to the police force at the Palace of Justice today ahead of the start of the session, otherwise the presiding judge may order Barrak arrested at the start of the hearing. The court will first look into the defense team's demand that the court freezes the implementation of the jail term until it has issued its verdict in the case. If the court accepts the request, Barrak will remain free and if not, he will be arrested by the Palace of Justice police. It is imperative that Barrak is present for the court to proceed with the case.
© Kuwait Times 2013
