Kuwaiti students complain govt allowance not enough

Kuwaiti students complain govt allowance not enough

By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: Recently, the Ministry of Finance said it is still hesitating over implanting the financial raises mentioned in the proposed laws regarding students’ social allowances, given that it will impose an additional financial cost on the state budget in light of the current liquidity crunch. The National Union of Kuwait Students denounced the ministry of finance’s action to reject the proposed increase in social allowance for students, especially in light of the continuous increase in the cost of living, which all Kuwaiti families suffer from without exception.

Speaking to Kuwait Times, Aya Ashkanani, 20, said the KD 200 allowance the government gives is not enough. “The allowance does not cover my needs, from buying books for my classes, stationery such as notebooks and pens, and transportation to the university. Even the car needs maintenance and fuel, other than my personal obligations. I spend most of my day at the university, so I need to eat and drink. The subsidy is not enough for my minimum educational needs, even for basic books,” she said.

Mariam Al-Dakhil, 22, said that the government must increase the allowance to KD 300-400. “This allowance goes for books that have a minimum price of KD 16,