02/07/2025
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02/07/2025
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KUWAIT CITY, July 2: Attorney Aseel Al-Saif said she submitted a draft law on the establishment of a new police department called the ‘Community Investigations Department for the Undeclared Economy’ to the office of Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sharida Al-Maousherji. Al-Saif stated that the department will specialize in uncovering and tracking unverified sources of income in the traditional financial system, particularly in personal status cases related to alimony and custody. She disclosed that the aim is to develop State tools to keep pace with modern economic transformations and promote financial justice in light of the increasing incidence of financial fraud, as some heads of households conceal their actual income to reduce their obligations to their wives and children after separation.
She pointed out that “courts today are confronted with a new reality of undocumented income, such as profits from social media accounts, online sales through unlicensed platforms, income from properties rented without contracts, profits from digital currencies, and cash transfers. This makes proof of income through a bank statement insufficient to fairly estimate alimony.” She revealed this legal move is based on Article 123 of the Personal Status Law, which stipulates that “alimony is estimated according to the financial status of the supporter -- whether wealthy or poor, while taking into account the status of the beneficiary.”
She stated this requires knowledge of actual income, not apparent income. She added, “Justice is not served if we rely solely on traditional paperwork that conceals undeclared income. Women and children are the first victims of this imbalance. Therefore, we must take legislative action in line with the new economic reality.” The following are the main stipulations of the draft law:
- Collection and analysis of information on the parallel economy, such as e-commerce and digital currencies;
- Reports of the department are considered valid technical evidence for submission to courts in alimony cases.
- The department has the authority to contact banking and financial institutions with a judicial warrant;
- Promote social justice and guarantee the rights of divorced women and their children.
By Jaber Al-Hamoud
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff
