Govt Scrambles to Contain Fallout of Canceled Subsidies
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SUBSCRIPTION MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 RABI ALAWWAL 14, 1436 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Expatriates Rouhani Australian Valencia bristle over urges end PM makes beat Real hefty fines, to Iran’s unannounced 2-1 to end mistreatment3 isolation7 trip to Iraq8 22-win20 streak Govt scrambles to contain Min 08º Max 21º fallout of canceled subsidies High Tide 13:12 & 23:31 Low Tide No hike in petrol, power prices • Price-gouging companies penalized 06:44 & 18:18 40 PAGES NO: 16393 150 FILS By B Izzak conspiracy theories KUWAIT: Rising diesel and kerosene prices following the removal of subsidies on Jan 1 have become the Predictions main issue in the country after a subsequent wave of price hikes and bakery strikes. The government has vowed to clamp down on violators. Commerce and and reality Industry Minister Abdulmohsen Al-Mudej said the min- istry went into action yesterday, penalizing at least 70 companies and shutting down 15 restaurants that raised prices under the pretext of the increase in diesel prices. Speaking at a joint press conference with the minis- By Badrya Darwish ters of finance and oil, Mudej said the companies will be referred to the public prosecution for further legal action as he vowed to take action against all companies that raise their prices or charges. A decision by the government to lift the subsidies on [email protected] kerosene, diesel and aviation fuel came into effect on Jan 1 and lead to increases in the prices at some restau- rants, construction companies, Iranian bread bakeries, water tankers and others. Several Iranian bakeries at t’s the beginning of the year and all over the local co-ops throughout the country closed shop in world it’s the norm that TV stations and protest at the fuel price hikes, as they are restricted Ichannels bring in astrologers to make their from raising the price of bread. predictions for the coming year. I watched a few Price hikes in other commodities triggered a number of them randomly and even if you don’t believe of MPs to call on the government to reverse its decision on ending diesel and kerosene subsidies. But Oil in it, you get sucked in and start listening to Minister Ali Al-Omair insisted that there is no going what they say. Really, the predictions that I back. He however said that the issue of lifting or reduc- heard on the Lebanese channels were very ing subsidies on petrol, electricity and water will not be depressing. There were no bright moments in imposed now although the issue is under government any of these astrologers’ predictions and most KUWAIT: (From left) Finance Minister Anas Al-Saleh, Commerce and Industry Minister Abdulmohsen Al- consideration. Mudej and Oil Minister Ali Al-Omair hold a joint press conference yesterday. — Photo by Fouad Al-Shaikh of them spoke with full confidence as if it is real- Continued on Page 13 ly true that what they say will take place. Of course they started with local Lebanese politics and politicians and sometimes even gave names that this one will be assassinated MoI sticks to guns on fines and this one will die and this one will succeed. And then they dealt with neighboring coun- tries, painting a very dark and gloomy future for Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, 20,000 Indians among 107,000 violators Libya, Somalia, Palestine, wherever. By Nawara Fattahova update their data or renew their pass- the past, this could be done without I don’t think we needed their predictions to ports quickly. According to statistics, paying fines, but this stopped with the know what’s going to happen this year. Just KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry is firm Indians rank first with 20,000 violations, new system. Some cases were inten- look around you and you will see all the disas- on enforcing a 50-year-old law linking while Indonesians are the most affect- tional while others were not,” Kandari the validity of iqamas to passports, ed despite their numbers being low in explained. ters. Syria in turmoil. Libya is not any better. even as the number of violators who Kuwait, as 57 percent of them are in According to article 12 of the resi- Yemen. Bahrain. Egypt. Tunisia. Where shall we have to pay fines has reached around violation,” said Kandari. dency law, the iqama is only valid if the go? Next we’ll have to travel to Mars to escape 107,000 people. Kuwait Times inter- “Law no. 17/1959 dealing with expat passport is valid. “Some people the wars and disasters and upheaval. Even the viewed the head of the legal depart- residency is active since 55 years, but renewed their passports but without broadcasters were upset and dismayed by the ment of the residency system for entry there were manipulations by appli- registering it at the Immigration predictions and asked them, “don’t you have and departure procedures Col Khalid cants, employees and even the Department, which is now called the anything good to say?” None of them, however, Al-Kandari on this issue that has led to embassies that were renewing the Residency Affairs Department, which resentment by thousands of expats passports of their citizens with a prior led to the expiry of their iqamas. As a did. who were fined for not updating their date of their actual visit to the result, the fines started to accumulate. They did not save any leader from their pre- passport information. embassy. The application of new tech- Every expat should go to the dictions, be it Arab or be it Western - that some “We call upon expats to update their nology locked the renewal of iqamas or Immigration Department in their gov- will die, some will collapse and some will go out data as soon as possible to avoid being updating the data if there are any ernorate as their files are there,” he told of power. penalized. These fines are cumulative unpaid fines. So no paperwork is Kuwait Times. I was laughing my head off at these and increase daily, so they should processed without paying the fines. In Continued on Page 13 Col Khalid Al-Kandari astrologers honestly speaking, because they think they can bluff the people. Maybe a few people believe in them. But I didn’t find it very smart to paint such a gloomy picture, especially UAE, Kuwait call off about the Middle East, as we can clearly see it. Switch on any channel and watch Daesh in Iraq or Syria or the killings or the refugees every- friendly over dispute where or the bloodshed in Libya, etc. GOLD COAST, Australia: A disagree- been sorted out with the players lin- And as for the leaders, of course they look at ment over the recording of a pre- ing up in the tunnel but the game did the age and the situation in the country and Asian Cup friendly between the not proceed. “At this stage, the give their predictions. I don’t know what agen- United Arab Emirates and Kuwait led Kuwaiti team’s manager escalated the da these astrologers have. Are they supported to a last-minute cancellation of the situation and threatened that the by some party or some group to scare people match on Saturday, robbing both match could be cancelled unless their and add fuel to the fire? teams of vital match practice before requirement is responded to,” the UAE the Jan 9-31 tournament. The players FA said. “And since the Kuwaiti last Leave all the astrology and let’s get back to JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opens the weekly cabi- had lined up in the tunnel ahead of minute demand conflicts with the my country Kuwait. I don’t need an astrologer net meeting at his Jerusalem office yesterday. — AFP the game on the Gold Coast but it objectives of the UAE national team, to know what will be the future in Kuwait. If the was called off after the UAE refused to the persons in charge have rejected rules we are putting now continue and are agree to Kuwait’s request to record the Kuwaiti request and the match implemented such as deporting people for bar- First Palestinian ICC the match. was cancelled in the process.” bequing on the beach or walking a dog, then In a statement on its website, the Kuwait’s FA said in a statement on you can tell what kind of economy this country case to be Gaza war UAE Football Association said both its website that UAE officials had ini- sides had previously agreed to play tially responded positively to their will have in the future. the friendly behind closed doors with- request at a dinner hosted by the We’re on a wrong path and I hope the gov- Israel eyes tougher moves out recording, broadcasting and the Kuwaiti team but suggested they dis- ernment will realize this before it’s too late and JERUSALEM: Israel was weighing its half a billion shekels ($127 million) in tax presence of the media or public. “The cuss the matter with UAE coach puts itself on the right track. Because rules and options yesterday for further punishing revenues to the Palestinian Authority. Kuwaiti delegation has unfortunately Mahdi Ali. After the pre-match warm- regulations and constitutions cannot be made the Palestinians after freezing millions in Speaking to AFP, a Palestinian legal declined to adhere to the previous ups, Ali refused to allow Kuwait coach by anyone. Laws and regulations are already tax revenues as a first response to their expert said the first case that would be agreement under which an official let- Nabil Maaloul to use a private camera written and whoever comes to a ministry bid to join the International Criminal referred to the ICC would be the “crimes” ter was sent to the Kuwaiti FA on to film the match for training purpos- December 15, and clearly stipulated es despite the presence of many should serve and uphold them, not invent from Court.