Kuwait’s financial officials have voted unanimously against the withdrawal of several parliamentary draft bills, including one proposing the government takes on citizens’ outstanding bank loans.
The government said the mooted purchasing of such loans, with an estimated value of several billion dinars, led to its boycotting a National Assembly session last week because it had been granted insufficient time to voice its opinions on draft economic bills.
Saleh Ashour, rapporteur of the Kuwaiti Parliament’s financial and economic affairs committee, said seven draft bills were discussed on Sunday, chief among them the proposals to buy citizens’ debt, increase the pensions of retirees and convert the Kuwait Airways Corporation into a joint stock company.
It is feared that infighting between MPs and the government will stoke existing political tensions, which have led to previous parliaments being dissolved.
Two ministers last Tuesday walked out of parliament when MPs refused to return draft bills to the finance committee and insisted on debating the laws.
Mr Ashour said that, based on Articles 103 and 105 of parliamentary bylaws, the committee unanimously decided not to withdraw any of the reports on its agenda unless “substantial, fundamental and legal amendments are submitted to the proposals presented to the council”.
The draft bill that has caused particular friction between the two bodies requires the government to purchase billions of dinars of bank loans owed by more than half a million citizens. The National Assembly proposes the government writes off the interest and then reschedules repayments by deducting the 120-dinar ($390) monthly cost-of-living allowance from the debtors.
The government says the move would be too expensive, costing almost $46 billion in public funds. However, MPs insist it would cost less than $6.5 billion.
The latest spat reached a stalemate on Monday when an official source told the Kuwaiti Al Qabas newspaper that the government had issued an ultimatum: either parliament withdraws its threats to question Cabinet ministers and the contested loans relief bill, or else it would submit its resignation.
Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf Al Sabah convened an emergency cabinet meeting last Wednesday, in which ministers reviewed several decisions after the government's withdrawal from Tuesday’s session and its boycott the following day.
The government said it had not been given adequate leeway to study two reports prepared by the financial and economic affairs committee before it could address the issues raised in parliament.
MP Jenan Bushehri, one of two women in the National Assembly, formally submitted a request to question Cabinet Affairs Minister and former foreign minister Barak Al Shaitan in parliament.
Parliamentary questioning is a constitutional right granted to politicians in Kuwait to cross-examine the Prime Minister or cabinet members and overthrow them if a vote of no confidence is reached.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
More on Quran memorisation:
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
PAKISTAN SQUAD
Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.
Sweet%20Tooth
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EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
