Dear Minister of Information, we want to meet with HH Prime Minister ... We have much to say

Arab Times

24-05-2025

THE situation necessitates openness and transparency, so the Amiri measures taken to end the long-standing chaos that has hindered development and impacted all aspects of life will bear fruit. This happened when parliamentary action devolved into chaos, such that the National Assembly became like a group of different peoples and tribes -- each seeking to monopolize government decisions through their own representatives. The successive cabinets then became an echo chamber for the MPs, rather than an effective and independent executive authority.
This is the reason why the Amiri measures got overwhelming support from the people, as Kuwaitis considered the move of HH the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as their salvation. They hoped for a Kuwait worthy of its glorious history and a return to leadership in all fields, as it was before the spread of parliamentary chaos.
Today, more than one year after the end of the chaos, several grievances remain, and others have begun to surface. Some are being discussed in the press, while others are being kept secret -- either for fear of being misunderstood or because no one is listening.
Without a doubt, this has exacerbated the social crisis first, and then the economic crisis. Among these grievances is the Civil Service Commission's announcement of salary cuts for employees in some government agencies, and the suspension of their privileges and benefits. As a result, fear filled the hearts of all employees, afraid that this would become a general policy affecting all public sector employees. The fact that about 80 percent of Kuwaiti employees are in debt makes matters worse, because their salaries have not increased for around 16 years, while inflation soared to such high levels that salaries are insufficient.
This has led to a decline in the purchasing power of citizens in a country based on consumption, due to the lack of an industrial and agricultural infrastructure that could help replace part of the imported commodities with cheaper locally produced ones. As a result of this situation, it is natural for low-income employees to fall into the borrowing trap. Nevertheless, the citizens are not asking the government to cancel their loans or pay them on their behalf. All they need is a balance between the salaries and living expenses.
This means the government must ease the burdens of citizens by guaranteeing the debt, waiving loan interest, or stopping garnishing the salary to pay debts. The government must generate job opportunities to ease the pressure on the public treasury. There are other problems exacerbated by the revocation of citizenship. Here, I must emphasize that whoever obtained Kuwaiti citizenship fraudulently and is tampering with their national identity must be punished.
All Kuwaitis agree on this view. A certain area needs to be highlighted concerning the revocation of the citizenship of the wives of Kuwaitis, and those who were born and lived in Kuwait as Kuwaiti citizens, unaware that their grandfather or ancestor obtained citizenship fraudulently. What sin did these people commit for their citizenship to be revoked? By the way, this group is a large and active force in the economy, society and administration.
Consequently, such a move will deprive Kuwait of much-needed talent and aggravate the Bedoun crisis, which is already a snowball that grows daily. The Bedoun problem should have been resolved decades ago, but unfortunately, it was left to worsen, leading to negative repercussions on all aspects of society. A solution to the Bedoun issue should have been reached before the decision to revoke the citizenship of those who acquired it by proxy; to enhance job, economic, and social security. Today, the picture does not look rosy. The gross domestic product is declining, while social problems are increasing. Instead of clarifying the situation and presenting appropriate solutions, we hear nothing but the silence of officials; hence, increasing public anxiety.
In several previous meetings with the Minister of Information, we suggested that the editors-in-chief of daily newspapers meet with His Highness the Crown Prince, His Highness the Prime Minister or First Deputy Prime Minister once a month or every two months. The goal of the proposal is to explain the government's viewpoints on one hand, and for the press to present public concerns to the leadership and participate in proposing solutions on the other hand.
In short, these are the duties of the press -- to convey the voice of the people, shed light on shortcomings and propose solutions. It is worth noting that ministerial measures require clarification, not just the issuance of official statements and decisions without explanation or clarification.
Regarding salary cuts, for example, there is a solution I have been advocating for some time. The solution is to schedule or suspend subsidies, instead of distributing them haphazardly. It is unreasonable for wealthy merchants and residential building owners to benefit from the KD7.5 billion subsidy, while the government rationalizes expenditure by cutting the salaries of low-income employees.
Numerous public grievances must be heard and addressed to alleviate the social, financial, and economic pressures on citizens. This is the task of the Council of Ministers, which must enlist the help of experts to address existing problems, anticipate the negative impacts of certain decisions, and then address them. The country has a financial surplus and investments worldwide.
The government has several plans, but they remain unimplemented. The government should focus on maximizing the gross domestic product, easing the burdens of citizens, and working in accordance with the lofty directives of His Highness the Amir who stressed the need to achieve social justice. This is not too much for a country with a small population, and has the potential to become a pioneering State in all fields.