We hope the increase is not a sedative bribe

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WE will not go into the interpellation of the Minister of Commerce and Industry and the Minister of State for Youth Affairs Muhammad Al-Aiban, because what was said in the session between the supporters and opponents is enough.

However, it must be emphasized that grilling based on personal reasons no longer receives the momentum it used to have. Kuwaitis “do not want to kill the gatekeeper of the vineyard, rather to eat the grapes.”

Therefore, a parliamentarian who has sworn to protect the Constitution cannot go on a path that the other MPs and the popular majority believe leads nowhere.

The two authorities wasted time in this grilling, in which the MP could have directed his question to the minister and received the answer. Instead, the parliament could have devoted itself to matters that are of concern to the people.

Kuwait can no longer tolerate the loss of opportunities, and it cannot endure parliamentary or ministerial adventures, because it suffers from a number of problems that must be solved quickly and without mistakes.

It is good if deals are not concluded during the grilling of the Minister of Commerce and Industry like the way it happened with the Minister of Education, who retracted a decision that was rightful for his predecessor, and issued another that carries many risks to the Kuwaitis, something that appears when students graduate from universities that have question marks.

This setback is an insult to the state as a whole, as the Minister of Education should have followed in the footsteps of Al-Aiban and insisted on the decision, instead of yielding to the demands of MPs who only care about their electoral interests.

It is not in the interest of Kuwait. Anyone who monitors what is published on social media and the media will realize that nothing is hidden in the country, either about medical errors, or anything else in other vital areas.

In the grilling session of the Minister of Commerce, which ended without the minister losing his job, and the subsequent approval of laws, there are many indications that can be built upon.

If the government had the intention to address the problems in the manner it used with regard to increasing and approving salaries, there would have been consensus on other matters that benefit the Kuwaitis, and thus expediting the passing of laws.

Here it must be pointed out that amending the salary law is not all that is desired, as the increase must be paid in return for revenues, which is what we did not hear either from the Minister of Finance or the ministers concerned.

There are many demands that the people believe are right, and work must be done to meet them. In the near future, if revenues are not enhanced, things will deteriorate. It is not possible to rely on fees and their increase alone.

Rather, there must be a deliberate process of revitalizing the national economy, starting with opening the country, facilitating procedures for investors – both citizens and foreigners – like the rest of the world, creating industries, and ending with securing conditions for food security.

Undoubtedly, this cannot be achieved with a limited vision based on novels, as decisions are not issued in this way, but rather take into account the interests of the country and the citizens.

In the past three decades, Kuwait has missed many opportunities, but its government continues to treat problems with sedatives, instead of eradicating the causes of the disease.

That is why we hope that the salary increase will not be a bribe or a sedative pill.

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times

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