Parliamentarian Khalil Al-Saleh called on the government to completely drop the idea of imposing charges on public services as a means of boosting nonoil revenues. According to local media Kuwait Times, MP said that in order for the government to provide strong assurances, it must exclude raising charges on public services from its program of economic reforms in the same way it excluded taxes on companies.

The lawmaker called on the finance minister to quickly answer a question he sent to him on why the government economic reform plan included the intention to raise charges on public services while it dropped plans to impose taxes on companies. Saleh’s remarks came as Finance Minister Nayef Al-Hajraf reiterated the government’s determination to continue with economic reforms that include subsidy cuts despite the surge in oil prices, which provide around 90 percent of public revenues.

Last year, the government introduced several measures to boost non-oil revenues, including raising fuel and power charges, but most of them targeted expatriates in the country. The government also raised medical charges for expatriates.