MPs have submitted two urgent proposals aimed at easing mounting cost-of-living pressures on citizens, calling for a higher transportation allowance for government employees and a more generous application of electricity tariffs, particularly for extended families sharing a single home.
However, both proposals were postponed due to time constraints during yesterday’s parliamentary sitting and are expected to be taken up at next week’s session.
The first proposal urges the government to increase the transportation allowance for public-sector employees in response to rising fuel prices.
The proposal was submitted by five MPs led by public utilities and environment affairs committee vice-chairman MP Mohammed Janahi, citing a sharp increase in fuel costs – particularly Jiyyad petrol, which has risen by nearly 57 per cent.
MPs argued that the current allowance no longer reflects actual commuting expenses, placing additional financial strain on government employees who rely on private vehicles.
“The continuation of the current situation burdens the employee and negatively affects living and job stability, especially amid the general rise in the cost of living,” the memorandum stated.
The signatories stressed that the proposal carries an urgent character, as fuel price hikes are already being felt daily by a wide segment of workers without any compensatory mechanism.
A separate urgent proposal focuses on electricity tariff applications, ensuring first-home support reaches those eligible and protecting extended families living under one roof.
The proposal was submitted by five MPs led by Muneer Suroor, and is grounded in royal directives affirming continued electricity and water subsidies for citizens’ primary residences.
MPs stressed that the proposal does not challenge the principle of subsidies, but seeks to ensure ‘fairer implementation’, particularly in cases where multiple families share a single dwelling – a common social reality.
They warned that some extended families are currently billed as high-consumption households, despite each family having limited income, especially during summer months when electricity usage rises.
Among the key recommendations:
Expanding the second electricity tariff bracket from 5,000 kilowatt to 7,000 kw, shielding middle-income families from an abrupt shift into unsubsidised rates.
Introducing a special mechanism for extended families, either by calculating tariffs based on the number of families in a home or allowing the installation of separate electricity meters for each household.
MPs said swift intervention is essential to protect low- and middle-income families and ensure the equitable application of existing support schemes.
Also postponed, is an urgent proposal urging the government to reintroduce cost-of-living allowances for low-income self-employed citizens, including driving instructors, presented by five MPs led by MP Zainab Abdulamir.
Two urgent proposal to build a public park in Block 743 in Sanad and launching a unified government platform for people with disabilities were also postponed.
Scheduled proposals to turn the old East Riffa Centre into a tumour treatment centre, building a multi-purpose hall in Isa Town, and extending the restoration of social housing applications due eligibility condition changes up to four years were postponed.
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