KUWAIT CITY, Oct 30, (Agencies): According to official statistics on the prices of basic food items in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Kuwait is considered the cheapest among the Gulf nations. This achievement has been attributed by economic sources to the successful management of the food security dossier and policies to mitigate inflation pressures, as well as monitoring market conditions. This has played a vital role in preserving the purchasing power of citizens, and has limited the impact of rising food and energy prices, thanks to the subsidy system and the non-application of value-added tax.

An official statistical report from the Technical Department of the Advisory Committee for the Supervision of Goods and Pricing, affiliated with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, compared the average prices of goods in Kuwait with those in the Gulf countries in September of the previous year. It revealed that several goods, including rice, flour, poultry, children's dietary supplements, and canned goods, are the cheapest in the Gulf. Other food prices in Kuwait are within acceptable ranges when compared to neighboring countries.

The report also pointed out that the rising global demand and increasing shipping costs have led to an increase in the prices of basic food items. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported a 27% increase in global food prices, attributed to the rise in the prices of most grains, vegetable oils, dairy products, and sugar. Countries have also suffered from food supply shortages.

The statistics indicate that the global price increase has put further pressure on countries that rely on food imports. It is expected to lead to increased inflationary pressures on food prices, prompting the need for several recommendations, including:

1. Providing new storage facilities to ensure the availability of goods in the country before global price hikes.
2. Stabilizing electricity and water prices and providing benefits for state-owned cooperative societies.
3. Halting increases in any state fees on food imports.
4. Facilitating the provision and recruitment of professional and skilled labor in the local market.
5. Streamlining import procedures and opening land, sea, and air ports to goods, such as opening the Al Abdali border for the import of Turkish meat.
6. Expanding trade and investment agreements in the field of food and animal resources.
7. Expanding foreign agricultural investment and diversifying the crops invested in.
8. Waiving customs duties and service fees, as well as fees for the release of essential food items, for two years.
9. Expanding the list of exempted goods from fees.
10. Improving and expediting customs facilities.
11. Addressing any new customs duties or taxes that could lead to local price increases, such as excise taxes.
12. Delaying the implementation of value-added tax until global food prices stabilize.
13. Suspending port fees on services provided to imported food shipments for two years.

Recently, several government decisions have been made to control the prices of essential goods and protect them from the effects of global inflation. One of the most prominent measures is the enhancement of strategic reserves of food items. The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mohammed Osman Al-Aiban, issued several decisions in this regard. These include the formation of a permanent committee to regulate the categories of rationed items, the establishment of strategic storage areas for creating warehouses and depots, as well as the formation of a committee to develop mechanisms for preserving food and commodity reserves. This committee's task is to study the existing mechanisms for preserving food and commodity reserves, prepare a comprehensive plan for developing these mechanisms, and raise awareness about the need to reduce food consumption and waste.

Note: This translation and rewrite is for informational purposes and may not fully capture the nuanced cultural and contextual details of the original article.