KUWAIT: Finance Minister Fahad Al-Jarallah said on Tuesday that the government requested an urgent discussion by the parliament’s foreign affairs committee regarding the unified agreement on the harmful goods’ tax in the GCC countries in preparation for approving the agreement.

During the regular session of the National Assembly, Al-Jarallah mentioned there would be coordination between the coordination committee and the priorities committee to discuss the agreement.

This matter is not connected to the value-added law and does not concern any commodity other than harmful goods he explained, adding that if the agreement is approved, it will determine the goods on which the tax will be imposed, which affect the health and safety of citizens and protects the environment, such as tobacco, energy drinks, and some carcinogenic substances. He underscored the importance of approving this tax for the ministry of finance, as it is part of non-oil revenues.

Finance Minister Fahad Al-Jarallah speaks in the National Assembly.

Women attend the National Assembly session.

MPs during the National Assembly session on Tuesday.

Members of the National Assembly during Tuesday’s regular session approved assigning relevant committees to address a host of topics namely regulating trade in psychotropic medicines and irregularities in Kuwaitis’ employment in the private sector and halt of visas for expatriate families. The MPs approved a number of letters; one proposes submitting a bill for amending the law on usage and trade of psychotropic drugs to the committee of internal and defense affairs and other deals with non-factual employment of citizens in the private sector.

They approved a request by the committee of improving business environment to allow examine repercussions of halting entry visas for expatriate families and visas for private sector’s personnel.

Moreover, the legislators blessed a letter recommending the adoption of a national initiative to cope with negative impact of heavy rains, another advising that the committee of protecting public funds follow up on the case of the army fund, military bureaus affiliated to the ministry of defense and tasking the committee members to carry out field investigations in and outside Kuwait.

Other topics that would be referred to the competent commissions upon their approval were the state digitization, infringements on state lands, roads repair, developing the northern region, Al-Harir city project, developing the ports and the islands. – KUNA