KUWAIT CITY, Aug 4: The Council of Ministers has issued Decree-Law No. 8 of 2024, outlining the budget for ministries and government departments for the fiscal year 2024/2025. According to the decree, the total revenues for the budget have been estimated at 18.9 billion dinars. This figure includes 2.7 billion dinars from non-oil revenues. The total expenditures for the budget are set at 24.555 million dinars, resulting in an expected deficit of 5 billion, 636 million, and 382 thousand dinars. The decree details the revenue breakdown for the fiscal year 2024/2025.

Total oil revenues are estimated at 16 billion, 234 million, and 144 thousand dinars. Taxes on income, profits, and capital gains are projected to bring in 613 million, 162 thousand dinars, while social contributions are estimated at 115 million dinars. Revenues from goods, services, and other sources are expected to reach 1 billion, 848 million, and 570 thousand dinars, and revenues from asset disposal and other non-operating sources are estimated at 107 million, 742 thousand dinars. This totals 18 billion, 918 million, and 618 thousand dinars in revenue.

The decree also specifies the expenditures for various government entities as follows: Ministry of Defense’s budget is set at approximately 1.9 billion dinars; Ministry of Interior’s 1.8 billion dinars; Ministry of Education 2.7 billion; Ministry of Health 2.8 billion dinars; Ministry of Higher Education 788.2 million dinars; Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy 3.4 billion dinars; Ministry of Foreign Affairs 65.7 million dinars and the General Accounts Department affiliated with the Ministry of Finance has the highest allocation ever at 6.4 billion dinars.

Additional approximate budget details include the Ministry of Public Works: 952.4 million dinars; Ministry of Information: 254 million dinars; Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs 465.8 million; Ministry of Communications 140.7 million dinars; General Department of Civil Aviation 226.9 million dinars; National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters 35.8 million dinars; Central Statistical Administration 7.7 million dinars; Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor 372.3 million dinars; National Guard 524.8 million dinars; Court of Auditors 73.5 million and the Amiri Diwan 259.8 million dinars. In addition to these budgets, the Council of Ministers has issued 37 decrees to link the budgets of various government agencies and bodies to the fiscal year 2024/2025.

These decrees are:
? Decree No. 9 of 2024: Budget for the General Fire Force, with expenditures of 213 million, 16 thousand dinars and revenues of 3 million, 538 thousand dinars, resulting in a deficit of 209 million, 478 thousand dinars.
? Decree No. 10 of 2024: Budget for the Central Agency for Public Tenders, with expenditures of 14 million, 255 thousand dinars and revenues of 6 million, 745 thousand dinars, resulting in a deficit of 7 million, 480 thousand dinars.
? Decree No. 11 of 2024: Budget for the National Human Rights Committee, with expenditures of 3 million, 57 thousand dinars and revenues of 6 thousand dinars, resulting in a deficit of 3 million, 51 thousand dinars.
? Decree No. 12 of 2024: Budget for the Public Authority for Agriculture and Fish Resources, with expenditures of 117 million, 288 thousand dinars and revenues of 9 million, 583 thousand dinars, resulting in a deficit of 107 million, 705 thousand dinars.
? Decree No. 15 of 2024: Budget for the Public Authority for Investment, with expenditures of 53 million, 755 thousand dinars and revenues of 215 thousand dinars, resulting in a deficit of 53 million, 540 thousand dinars.
? Decree No. 25 of 2024: Budget for Kuwait Municipality, with expenditures of 244 million, 330 thousand dinars and revenues of 70 million, 959 thousand dinars, resulting in a deficit of 153 million, 371 thousand dinars.

By Inaas Awadh
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff