Lawmakers insist they will reject all forms of taxation

Lawmakers insist they will reject all forms of taxation

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: MPs said on Sunday they will strongly oppose any government plans to impose any form of taxation and raising charges for public services, adding they will take action against such plans. Meanwhile, the Cabinet is due to approve its four-year program of action on Monday, which envisages major political and economic reforms and calls for imposing taxes and reducing the number of expats living in the country.

MP Abdulkarim Al-Kandari said that as “we opposed plans for taxation in the past, it will be our position always”, pledging he will resort to questioning the government if it sought to speed up the process of passing legislation for taxation. MP Obaid Al-Wasmi said there will be no taxes imposed before the government manages to retrieve all public funds stolen by officials, estimated to be in the billions of dollars.

Government ministers informed a National Assembly panel last week that the government’s four-year program of action will be debated and approved during the Cabinet’s weekly meeting on Monday, and then will be sent to the National Assembly for debate. The government’s program, which runs until 2026, pledges to cooperate with the Assembly to issue dozens of legislation to introduce major political,