Nov 22 Kuwait’s government is studying whether to raise fees for its services, Finance Minister Anas al-Saleh said in comments published by the local al-Rai newspaper on Sunday.
Saleh said the study was part of a project to rationalise spending, review subsidies and diversify sources of revenue.
"It is not intended only to plug the (budget) deficit resulting from low oil prices – it will be permanent whether oil prices continue to drop or increase," Saleh told the newspaper without specifying the fees that might be raised.
He also said that any increase in service fees or gasoline prices would be decided by the cabinet rather than through parliamentary legislation, but that the cabinet would consult lawmakers on issues that required legislation, according to al-Rai.
The government spends heavily on subsidising domestic gasoline prices; raising prices could save it large amounts of money, but would be politically sensitive and might attract criticism in parliament.
Saleh had previously said Kuwait, which has huge financial reserves, was considering various options to cover the deficit, including steps to save money as well as bond issues. (Reporting by Sami Aboudi, Writing by Hadeel Al Sayegh, Editing by Sami Aboudi and Andrew Torchia)
