Kuwait Says Needs to Borrow $66Bn Over 30 Yrs

Kuwait heads towards a huge financial borrowing project for the next three decades (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Kuwait heads towards a huge financial borrowing project for the next three decades (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
20

Kuwait Says Needs to Borrow $66Bn Over 30 Yrs

Kuwait heads towards a huge financial borrowing project for the next three decades (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Kuwait heads towards a huge financial borrowing project for the next three decades (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Kuwait government’s need to pass a law on public debt that would enable it to borrow 20 billion dinars ($65.3billion) over 30 years “is still urgent and necessary,” Finance Minister Barak al-Shitan said on Sunday.

The finance and economic committee has also suggested reducing the period for borrowing, Shitan added after meeting lawmakers.

The public debt would not exceed 60 percent of gross domestic product and proceeds would go to infrastructure and development projects, he told reporters after meeting the committee.

The government will study an idea to lower by half the ceiling on public debt as part of proposed amendments to a law it’s struggled to push through parliament, he noted.

Kuwait has two billion dinars ($6.6 billion) worth of liquidity in its Treasury and not enough cash to cover state salaries beyond October, he has earlier noted.

“The government is withdrawing from its General Reserve Fund at a rate of 1.7 billion dinars a month, meaning liquidity will soon be depleted if oil prices don’t improve and if Kuwait can’t borrow from local and international markets,” he said.

The panel has proposed reducing the limit from 20 billion dinars ($66 billion) to 10 billion dinars, said the committee’s head, Safa al-Hashem.

The proposal suggests that the law be reconsidered within three years in terms of the debt ceiling and repayment period, Hashem added, provided that the next finance minister presents a complete economic reform program on the way to cut expenditure, boost revenue, and lay out clear repayment mechanisms.

Kuwait is going through one of its worst economic crises due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the decline in oil prices – given that oil is the key source to fund the general budget. Before that, the deficit in Kuwait was expected to reach KWD7.7 billion ($25 billion) for the fiscal year from April 1 to March 31.

The government and parliament have long been at odds over the law that would allow Kuwait to tap international debt, but the issue has gained urgency in recent months due to the COVID-19 pandemic and low crude prices.



Aramco Inaugurates Regional Center for Sustainable Fishery Development on Abu Ali Island

tthe inauguration of the regional center for sustainable fishery development, Arabian Gulf branch, was made in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. Aramco
tthe inauguration of the regional center for sustainable fishery development, Arabian Gulf branch, was made in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. Aramco
TT
20

Aramco Inaugurates Regional Center for Sustainable Fishery Development on Abu Ali Island

tthe inauguration of the regional center for sustainable fishery development, Arabian Gulf branch, was made in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. Aramco
tthe inauguration of the regional center for sustainable fishery development, Arabian Gulf branch, was made in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. Aramco

Saudi Aramco announced on Thursday the inauguration of the regional center for sustainable fishery development, Arabian Gulf branch, in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.

Through this collaboration, Saudi Aramco aims to highlight its investments in citizenship initiatives and its efforts to drive economic growth, support local fishermen and their livelihoods, build expertise, and adopt the best practices to enhance production and cultivate fish of marketable sizes that can compete globally.

The center is part of the company's broader efforts to protect marine life in the Arabian Gulf. It involves the establishment of a fish hatchery on Abu Ali Island in Jubail, located on the Arabian Gulf coast, designed to produce local fish species that have experienced population declines due to fishing practices and to reintroduce them into Gulf waters.

The center's operations are designed to encompass the complete fish life cycle within designated tanks, from broodstock for egg production to larval rearing using plankton produced on-site and finally to the release of juvenile fish into the Arabian Gulf. The hatchery employs advanced aquaculture technologies to ensure fish health, and it utilizes top-tier water recycling techniques to enhance performance and meet the company's circular economy objectives.

The project aligns with Saudi Aramco's mangrove plantation initiative, under which more than 43 million trees have been planted to date. Mangrove forests provide vital nursery habitats for the juvenile fish released into the Gulf, further supporting the sustainability of marine ecosystems.