SUBSCRIPTION THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2017 RAMADAN 27, 1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Up to KD 1,700 Queen outlines Greats lament annual fee UK agenda in ‘sad day’ as for parent scaled-down Kohli topples visa 6 speech10 Kumble18 Saudi king ousts nephew, Min 32º Max 45º names son Crown Prince High Tide 09:29 & 23:22 Low Tide Amir congratulates Saudi; Former Crown Prince relieved of all posts 03:38 & 14:52 40 PAGES NO: 17263 150 FILS RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman yesterday appoint- ed his 31-year-old son Mohammed Bin Salman as Crown Prince, placing him first-in-line to the throne and remov- ing the country’s counterterrorism czar and a figure well- known to Washington from the line of succession. The monarch stripped Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef from his title as Crown Prince and from his powerful position as the country’s Interior Minister overseeing security. The announcements were made in a series of royal decrees carried on the state-run Saudi Press Agency. The all-but-certain takeover of the throne by Mohammed Bin Salman awards near absolute powers to a prince who has ruled out dialogue with rival Iran, has moved to isolate neighboring Qatar for its support of Islamist groups and who has led a war in Yemen that has killed thousands of civilians. KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah The prince already oversees a vast portfolio as receives the visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi yesterday.— KUNA Defense Minister and is spearheading economic reforms. He has become popular among some of Saudi Amir meets Iraqi PM Arabia’s majority youth for pushing reforms that have opened the deeply conservative country to entertain- KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh and the latest regional crisis. The meeting ment and greater foreign investments as part of an Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was attended by First Deputy Premier effort to overhaul the economy, including plans to list a received visiting Iraqi Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al- percentage of the state-run oil giant Aramco. Haider Al-Abadi at Bayan Palace yester- Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy The young prince was little known to Saudis and out- day in the presence of His Highness the Premier and Defense Minister Sheikh siders before Salman became king in January 2015. He Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al- Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al- had previously been in charge of his father’s royal court TAIF: Saudi boys pose in front of a huge billboard showing (in the center) King Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Sabah, Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan when Salman was the Crown Prince. The Saudi monarch Salman, with his 31-year-old son Mohammed Bin Salman to the right, and Prince Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, Deputy quickly awarded his son expansive powers and named Mohammed Bin Nayef to the left. Salman appointed his son, who was until now Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. During the meeting, Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh him Deputy Crown Prince two years ago to the surprise the Deputy Crown Prince and country’s Defense Minister, as his successor and first they discussed bilateral relations, ways of Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah and other top of many within the royal family who are more senior in line to the throne. Salman stripped Mohammed Bin Nayef of the title of crown promoting ties, issues of mutual interest officials. — KUNA Continued on Page 13 prince and ousted him from his powerful position of Interior Minister. — AP Court reopens arguments in Assembly storming case Finance minister denies losing $70 billion By B Izzak makers include Mussallam Al-Barrak and others. Judge Ibrahim Al-Obaid set the next hearing for KUWAIT: The Court of Appeals yesterday reopened July 5. The Constitutional Court meanwhile set the door for fresh defense arguments in the case of September 20 to issue its verdict on the controversy storming the National Assembly in which 70 activists that surrounded the election of the deputy Speaker. are defendants. The defendants, who include 11 Two candidates contested the election and Issa Al- present and former lawmakers, are charged with Kundari emerged the winner after a re-vote. In the storming the National Assembly building during first vote, MP Harbash came ahead with one vote protests in 2011. The lower court had acquitted all of but did not secure the absolute majority needed for them. MPs involved in the case include Jamaan Al- him to win. Harbash and Waleed Al-Tabtabai and former law- Continued on Page 13 Gulf countries prepare for VAT in time of crisis DUBAI: Oil-rich Gulf countries, which for decades have attracted millions of foreign workers thanks to their rep- Our journey utation as tax-free havens, aim to introduce value- added tax in 2018 to plug budget gaps. On top of administrative and technical hurdles, however, the proj- through life ect now faces an unprecedented diplomatic crisis after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on By Teresa Lesher June 5 severed all ties with Qatar, their partner in the Gulf Cooperation Council. ur journey in life is never alone. Each of us has Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar are due to introduce parents, and each is born into a family. In VAT in early 2018, with the other three GCC members- OIslam, the journey through life is intrinsically Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman-following at a later date. In case woven into family life, in whose structure the journey of a prolonged crisis, Qatar would have to replace imports takes shape. And it is in the Quran and prophetic tra- from Saudi Arabia and UAE, valued at $4.55 billion annual- ditions that the Muslim finds guidance for family life. ly, with “costlier” non-GCC goods, said M R Raghu, head of The Quran presents a methodology for safeguarding research at the Kuwait Financial Centre (MARKAZ). the family group and, within it, each family member. “Implementing VAT in such a scenario would lead to infla- tionary pressures, especially in food-related items,” he said. Each person in the family is cared for - children, “If the crisis is prolonged, then Qatar might want to mothers, fathers, near relatives, far relatives, servants delay the implementation of this envisaged tax reform and guests - even unborn children have rights that to balance any spike in prices of commodities in the protect their wellbeing. Outside of family life is the local markets.” If it goes ahead as planned, VAT is unlike- community, another sphere of belonging. While ly to tarnish the GCC reputation as a low-tax region or many people see community life as competitive - try- reduce its appeal to expatriates, according to Monica ing to be more and possess more than others - Malik, chief economist at Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) instructed us that the An introductory rate of five percent “looks to balance context of community is inclusive, not competitive. raising government revenue and still having a very Continued on Page 13 attractive business environment, both for expatriates and corporations”, she said. “We believe the UAE and the Gulf will still overall be seen as a low-tax environment on a global basis.” VAT, a tax paid by the consumer, is also unlikely to deter businesses from setting up operations in the Gulf region, according to Jeanine Daou, indirect tax leader at PwC Middle East. “From a business perspective, VAT should be neutral. What businesses are required to do is to collect tax on behalf of the government on their sales... It is not a corporate tax,” she said. She said that five percent would be “one of the lowest VAT rates Imsak Fajr Shorook Duhr Asr Maghrib Isha across the globe”. 03:03 03:13 04:49 11:50 15:23 18:50 20:23 Continued on Page 13 LOCAL THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2017 KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with His Highness the Crown His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with Belgium’s outgoing Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. — KUNA Ambassador to Kuwait Andy Detaille. Amir receives senior officials KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- Amir also received His Highness the Prime Minister Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Detaille. The meeting was attended by the head of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah met His Highness the Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. His Highness the Crown Prince’s Diwan Sheikh Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Meanwhile, His Highness the Crown Prince His Highness the Crown Prince also received Mubarak Al-Faisal Al-Saud Al-Sabah. — KUNA Sabah at Bayan Palace yesterday. His Highness the received His Highness the Prime Minister, as well as Belgium’s outgoing Ambassador to Kuwait Andy Kuwait most effective, probable mediator: UN chief NEW YORK: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has expressed his full support to Kuwait’s mediation initiative in the complex Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) situation. In a press conference held at the UN headquarters, the UN chief expressed concern over the situation, believing that there should be a “regional solution.” “I have followed par- ticularly the efforts of mediation by Kuwait, and I express my support to the Kuwait mediation initiative,” he said. Guterres told the press that he thinks what Kuwait is doing “is the most useful way,” and for the UN to cooper- ate in trying to address a situation that is complex, the leadership should be a “regional leadership.” “My main concern has been is to try to push for a regional solution and what I have considered as most effective and proba- ble mediator has been Kuwait that has my full support,” he added.