KUWAIT CITY, Jan 20, (KUNA): The National Assembly committee on budgets and final accounts adopted on Thursday a bill approving the Amiri decree to grant each Kuwaiti citizen KD 1,000 in addition to subsidized ration supplies for a whole year on the occasion of the country’s 50th Independence and the 20th Liberation Day.
The total cost of the gift amounts to KD 1.405 billion, rapporteur of the committee MP Adnan Abdulsamad told reporters here after a committee meeting.

“The Amiri handout will greatly relieve the burdens of many Kuwaitis particularly those with limited income,” he said, noting that All Kuwaitis with citizenship cards are eligible to claim the gift.

Based on estimates that put the country’s population as at Feb 1, 2011, at 1.155 million people, the cash handout will cost the state budget KD 1.155 billion. The subsidized ration supplies will cost KD 250 million.
“Hence, the total cost is KD 1.405 billion which will be mainly taken from the state cash reserve,” the senior lawmaker affirmed.

Provisions for the free ration supplies in February and March will be derived from the current budget while cost for April, 2011, until March, 2012, will be covered by the next budget through additional appropriations.
The committee has worked out a report on the bill which will be tabled to the parliamentary session of Tuesday for final endorsement, he added.