Kuwait May Raise Tariffs for Government Services

Government sources in Kuwait disclosed that the Council of Ministers received a reply from some ministries on the issue of increasing charges and taxes on government services.

According to a source quoted by Kuwait Times, “ministries, including Interior, Health and Electricity, responded in an official memo, that according to studies, fees must be raised based on a reasoning that current tariffs are too low in comparison with services offered and they are significantly lower than the tariffs that exist in the countries in the region.”

“the Electricity Ministry intends to increase tariffs by 50 percent from current rates, especially since the production costs are too high and consumes much of the state’s budget without positive return to the public storage. New prices, if implemented, will not exhaust citizens, but will halt some current negativities.” the source added.

The sources mentioned that the rise in taxes does not require approval from the parliament since it can be implemented through the ministry’s authority.