Kuwait: Allowances for Microentrepreneurs and Freelancers Approved

Kuwait Times, 14 August 2023: Kuwait’s Cabinet has approved allowances for microentrepreneurs and freelancers. They will be paid labour support allowances monthly.

The allowance is similar to the pay citizens in the private sector receive. The aim is to support young Kuwaitis and improve the local business environment.

The Cabinet has affected this change by an amendment to Kuwait Decision No. 391/2001.

The amendment states: “Owners of licenses for micro-entrepreneurs and activities of a special nature determined by the Minister of Commerce and Industry.”

In this situation, in addition to the conditions specified in Article 5 of Kuwait Decision No. 391/2001, the Commerce and Industry Ministry must submit periodic reports to the Public Authority for Manpower on the regularity of the beneficiaries of the provisions of this Decision in practicing the activities they are licensed for.

Additional reporting from Alqabas on 14 August 2023. For the full story, click here.

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Kuwait: MPs Propose Pricing Initiatives

Alqabas, 7 August 2023: Five Kuwaiti MPs have submitted a proposal for a law which would return fuel prices to what they were before 2016, cancel the new tariffs on electricity and water, and cancel the exception granted to government agencies in Kuwait Law No. 79/1995 on fees and financial costs.

The purpose of the amended text is to protect the citizen from arbitrary or unfair increases in fees that the government may impose without taking into account objective justifications or the economic conditions of citizens.

For the full story, click here.

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Kuwait: Child Allowance Increase

Kuwait Times, 31 July 2023: Kuwait’s National Assembly’s financial and economic affairs committee has approved a proposal to increase the social allowance for children from 50 to 100 Dinars per child per month.

The allowance will also apply to any number of children, as the current limit of seven children has been removed. The proposal must now be approved by the Assembly and then accepted by the government to become effective.

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Kuwait: Progress of Iqama Draft Law

Kuwait Times, 22 July 2023: The Revised iqama draft law (which covers residence) is to be sent to the Cabinet.

The law which regulates the residence of foreigners in Kuwait is expected to be voted on by the parliament in the next session. The bill underwent a radical revision in the past weeks of most of its articles, with the aim of putting an end to iqama trading.

It is expected the law will be ready for adoption by the Cabinet during the current summer session, and be referred to the National Assembly before the start of the next session at the end of October, According to the new proposal, an expatriate would be granted a residence permit not exceeding five years. Investors would be given a residence permit of up to 15 years, depending on their activity. Fees would be imposed so that Kuwait can benefit from these investments.

Other proposals also include giving 10-year residence permits to children of Kuwaiti women. Residency permits would e given to a person who owned property in Kuwait, provided they were not absent from Kuwait for a period of more than six months, with the exception of children of Kuwaiti women. Domestic workers would only be allowed to travel outside Kuwait for four months.

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Kuwait: New Housing Law Approved

Kuwait Times, 13 July 2023: The Kuwait National Assembly has unanimously approved a new housing law which aims to accelerate housing building for Kuwaitis by allowing strategic foreign investors to participate in the sector without needing for a local agent.

The government accepted the legislation and vowed it would take all necessary steps to implement it. There has been a long standing issue in Kuwait on housing supply and cost. The average price of real estate in Kuwait is 13 times higher than the average income of Kuwaiti families and three times higher than in Saudi Arabia. Currently there are 92,000 housing applications from Kuwaiti families waiting to get a house or a piece of land. The law will allow foreign investors to enter the sector more easily.

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Kuwait: Draft Law on Repealing General Authority for Roads and Land Transport Referred

Alqabas, 5 July 2023: The government has referred to the National Assembly a draft law to repeal Kuwait Law No. 115/2014 on the Public Authority for Roads and Land Transport.

The draft specifies the departments previously transferred to the Authority will be returned to their original authorities, and all rights and responsibilities of the Authority will be transferred to the Ministry of Public Works.

The explanatory memorandum clarifies the abolishment of the Roads Authority is part of a broader effort to merge and eliminate certain government bodies, institutions, and agencies in order to enhance government services and promote reform.

For the full story, click here.

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Kuwait: Judicial Authority Draft Law Proposed

Alqabas, 3 July 2023: A group of MPs in Kuwait have submitted a draft law on judicial authority, which comprises 98 articles encompassing regulations on judicial governance.

The MPs have emphasised Article 163 of Kuwait Law No. 0/1962 Constitution of the State of Kuwait mandates the independence of the judicial system. Consequently, they believe additional safeguards must be established to ensure and preserve this independence.

According to the proposed law, judicial departments can be formed with a single judge, and a permanent committee called the Judicial Affairs Committee may be established, consisting of individuals who are not part of the judicial system.

For the full story, click here.

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