A populist plan to pay off private debts is another sign of Kuwait’s ills
Dysfunctional politics and short-sighted economic policies are holding a rich country back
IN OCTOBER KUWAIT’S finance ministry sent a stern message to the government: no frivolous spending. Yes, oil prices were high and the deficit had narrowed, but this was a time for fiscal discipline. And yet a few weeks later lawmakers introduced a bill that would force the state to pay for new cars, holidays or indeed anything else citizens might have bought on credit.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “No cheques please, we’re Kuwaiti”
Middle East & Africa January 28th 2023
From the January 28th 2023 edition
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