DUBAI: In the event a tax law is introduced in Kuwait, it would be "no different" than other legislation, requiring it to pass through parliament as stipulated by the constitution, the finance minister said yesterday. "A prospective tax law in Kuwait has been a recurring topic of discussion among our partners in the region," Nayef Al-Hajraf told KUNA in an interview on the sidelines of an Arab financial forum. He said the constitutional law in Kuwait should be respected, meaning that taxes will only be levied under legislation that "follows proper procedure".

The minister added that any discussion over taxes in Kuwait is merely conjecture at this point, emphasizing that proper laws need to be enacted in the first place. On the types of taxes currently under discussion, he mentioned a value-added tax (VAT) agreement between Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, which has become the subject of heated debate in the National Assembly.

In response to a question on an increase in wages and more monetary bonuses, Hajraf said the situation is assessed on an "individual basis", citing efforts to remedy any irregularities in the payment of salaries, "which could take a while to materialize". The spate of financial reforms seen in Kuwait aims to ensure steady economic development, he explained, pinpointing more job opportunities and anti-corruption efforts as among the measures taken.

Hajraf also touched on Kuwait's newly-unveiled budget for the fiscal year 2019-2020, which sees government spending slashed by 26 percent as part of a tighter expenditure policy. The minister highlighted the forum as a valuable opportunity for Kuwait to gain some insight into the experiences of some of its neighbors in dealing with financial reforms. - KUNA