Al-Saleh: Government aims at maintaining prosperity

Minister of Commerce and Industry Anas Al-Saleh said Tuesday the government program included a series of measures that would maintain prosperity of citizens because "it is impossible for prosperity to be sustainable providing the current situation." Al-Saleh was reacting to reports suggesting that the government announced in its program that the state of prosperity would end in Kuwait, saying the "government has not said prosperity will not continue but the theme of its program was 'responsible partnership for sustainable prosperity.'" He was speaking to reporters on sidelines of a reception held by the Turkish Embassy on the occasion of the country's independence day. Al-Saleh, meanwhile, said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has been preparing guidelines that would crack down on monopoly and encourage competitiveness. Asked about government's intention to impose taxes, Al-Saleh said the government was planning "clear economic reforms" which would not affect people with limited income. On relations with Turkey, Al-Saleh said relations between the two countries have developed tremendously, citing the recent visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to Ankara.