WOW! Can you imagine being a citizen of a country that just 'bribes' it's people with money & free food???
Additionally, according to the numbers- only 32% of Kuwaitis actually work. What do the rest do? Study, shop, sleep in? They hire foreigners to do the majority of the work. I read an article on Arab Times where the author expressed concern over all the jobs going to expats & Kuwaitis being left out. Reading the comments one person said, "Do you really think a Kuwaiti will take a job as a taxi driver? Can you see a Kuwaiti picking up street garbage?
No."
With all the money Kuwait has, it should look like Dubai & Abu Dhabi. But only one small city- Kuwait City, actually looks modern & attractive. Everywhere else looks run down & old- except for the shopping malls & coffee shops of course.
I wish they would do more to attract tourism, but they are so conservative. I actually don't mind the alcohol ban b/c I don't drink. But no public dancing?
Anyway, read the informative article below. Part of
Me is jealous but then again I'm not. Growth, maturity, compassion, & patience are all learned when people work hard & receive what they deserve. My question is, what have the Kuwaitis done to deserve all this? And how many of them will willingly contribute their portion to the world (aside from their Islamic duty)? How many will invest in their own country to make it a better place? How many will refuse to give their maids a raise or bonus?
The state [of Kuwait] provides a cradle-to-grave welfare system to its citizens who receive most public services and petrol at heavily subsidised prices and pay no income tax. Some 80 percent of Kuwait's 360,000-strong national workforce are employed in government jobs, where the average monthly wage is more than KD 1,000.
Found this on the Kuwait Times Online: http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=NzIxMTEyMjEz
Amir grants KD 1,000 to every citizen
Published Date: January 18, 2011
By B Izzak, Staff Writer & Agencies
KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah has ordered the distribution of KD 1.12 billion ($4 billion) and free food for 14 months to citizens as the state prepares to mark national occasions. Each of the 1.12 million Kuwaitis will get KD 1,000 ($3,572) in cash as well as free essential food items until March 31, 2012, State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Roudhan Al-Roudhan said. Roudhan said the Cabinet approved a draft decree for the financial grant which will be sent to the National Assembly for
approval. He said the government will ban any bank deduction or seizure of the grant.
The state, whose financial assets top $300 billion, will next month mark the 50th anniversary of independence, 20th anniversary of liberation from Iraqi occupation and the fifth anniversary of the Amir's ascendance to power. The announcement was made following an overnight meeting of the Cabinet. The 2.4 million foreign residents of Kuwait are excluded from the grant and the free food.
MPs yesterday welcomed the Amiri grant but urged the government to step up control over prices so as to prevent merchants from raising prices artificially. MPs Khaled Al-Adwah, Waleed Al-Tabtabaei and Saadoun Hammad among many others praised the grant that will be of a great help to citizens but urged the commerce minister to strictly monitor prices of commodities so the grant money is not absorbed by greedy merchants.
Head of the interior and defense committee MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri thanked the Amir for ordering the grant that brought happiness to the Kuwaiti people, but called on the prime minister to admit that the government has breached the constitution by causing the death of a citizen, suppressing the people and curbing freedom. He said the government has squandered public funds, remained silent on financial and administrative corruption and deprived people of the most basic right of employment.
Inflation in Kuwait soared to 5.9 percent in November, the highest in 20 months on the back of high food prices which rose by 12.3 percent. The fifth largest OPEC producer has posted budget surpluses in each of the past 11 fiscal years, totalling more than $140 billion, and is also headed for another healthy surplus this year thanks to rising oil price. The government has made similar but smaller grants in the past.
The state provides a cradle-to-grave welfare system to its citizens who receive most public services and petrol at heavily subsidised prices and pay no income tax. Some 80 percent of Kuwait's 360,000-strong national workforce are employed in government jobs, where the average monthly wage is more than KD 1,000.
Well, allow me to say that you're right about one thing though, you can't just find a taxi-driver as a Kuwaiti, though If you think that Kuwaitis don't deserve the "1,000 K.D's to every person" Then I might have to say that you're wrong in that case, they do work. Plus those who are at the age 18 and younger have to put their efforts into studying, most of their time, providing them with a clean environment to study atleast to ensure a secure job in the future. They might be spoiled alittle, but they're very strict when it comes to their Islamic duties, as for all muslims, not just them. The Kuwaiti dinar itself is high, higher than the EURO itself, you can compare it with the EU prices here when it comes to shopping and so, plus not all job applications grants you the best income though, If you really want a high income, then you should get out of High-school there with a certain percentage amount of degree, so you can choose a college then with a fine income. But It's just sad that people around the globe think from the outside more than what they don't know is happening from the inside.
ReplyDeleteBecause the amir doesn't want the Kuwaitis to pull a Tunisia
ReplyDeleteRe: Mr. Gamo:
ReplyDeleteKuwait is highly unlikely to ever become a Tunisia because they are comfortable. Though it is very conservative here, they're too lazy to do anything about it- really they are! They don't even work- only 32% of Kuwaitis actually work & most in the government. I cannot at all see Kuwaitis protesting because the Amir is very generous. Although some social networking sites are blocked- the Amir gives a reason that explains how it makes the country lose money rather than bring up moral issues. Now porn on the other hand- will always be immoral & blocked. Kuwaitis have a lot of freedom though it seems contrary at first glance. In essence, they're spoiled & content. Very few Kuwaitis are hard workers.
Adventures in Kuwait define the Amir grants KD 1,000 to every citizen. Additionally, according to the numbers- only 32% of Kuwaitis actually work which is very low as my opinions.
ReplyDeletewho the hell r you to talk about kuwait and kuwaitis ???? bribe !!! seriously !!! you call yourself a journalist !! do your home work first atlas !!! i cant believe the envy in this world ... know the culture you talk about ... the money giving is part of our culture from the elder to the young ones ... in eid when my father give us money after ramadan he doesn't bribe us to love him !and so on what we do to our young kids ! its a tradition from old kuwait to new kuwait ... its called the 3edeya ..as much as we are modernized we are still rooted to our traditions ..." the keswa" and "3aneya " , "3edeya "... beside .. its not the first time the amir of kuwait gives ... READ SOME NEWSPAPERS BEFORE you write ... check how many times .... yes we are filthy rich .. young ... and small countries ... and kuwaitis are not lazy ... again check the level of education and the rank of universities our kids go yearly ... AND NO WE DONT DRIVE TAXIS OR PICK UP GARBAGE because we want to leave these jobs for people like you have no real job or life but to envy people and country .. you and your family live and eat because of its wealth
ReplyDeleteReply to ANONYMOUS:
ReplyDeleteA political scientist at Kuwait University believes the simmering tension between the government and the opposition MPs is partially rooted in the state's benevolence.
"Our government wants to have democracy without political parties; they rely mainly on loyalty," Shamlan Alessa said. To keep their subjects on good terms, the rulers created "a gift state, a welfare state, whereby a citizen gets services and good salary without doing anything", he said, adding that "it created a national assembly that was very aggressive."
http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/middle-east/youth-group-fifth-fence-calls-for-kuwait-government-to-go
Anonymous. You are so blinded. The Kuwaitis that you are talking about who are going to high power universities are a huge example of laziness. This last year alone a local Kuwait report came out and stated that 70% of the students who go to foreign universities come back due to being academically ineligible within the first semester. Do you think that huge scholarship from Kuwait has anything to do with it? Culturally you give high priced gifts to the younger people, but those younger people have no clue what work is. They fail outside of Kuwait because of it. You don't clean the streets or drive taxis because you wouldn't ever WANT to do that. But you also don't make it easy for people who do those jobs because you drop your garbage everywhere! The corniche, local beach water, is filled with oily substances. You can't swim for any amount of time without seeing a cigarette float by or a blue plastic bag from the local version of 7-11. You don't have any manufacturing! You can't sustain the lifestyle at all with the way it's going! You are driving cars that are made in every other country but yours. You don't make anything that gets shipped anywhere else in the world. You don't have tourism because you don't allow alcohol and so you will never have big concerts or tours coming through! Your country is a sitting duck and it is only a matter of time before everyone turns on each other because they took too long to realize this. Kuwaiti government workers work an average of 37 total minutes a day! While their tea boys do everything for them! Nobody envies you other than your wealth, because God knows that your standards and attitudes are not enviable at all.
ReplyDelete