Tax hike expected
Manama : Taxes are expected to increase by 10 to 15 percent next year, an MP predicted yesterday.
Statistics show that the Government issued more than 300 decisions this year to introduce new fees or increase the existing ones on public services, according to the lawmaker.
This was revealed by Parliament’s Financial and Economic Affairs Committee Deputy Chairman Mohammed Al Ahmed during the discussion of a proposal that prohibits the Government from introducing new fees or increasing the existing ones without reaching a consensus with the Parliament.
“Introducing such a large number of decisions to impose fees on citizens is unprecedented in the Kingdom,” Al Ahmed said in a discussion, which came by the beginning of
the Parliament weekly session yesterday.
“These steps harm Bahraini citizens in the first place. Studies show that public services fees would increase by 10-15pc next year. This proposal comes to alert the Government and the public. As MPs, we’ll utilise our jurisdictions to hold the parties in the government responsible, in case this continues,” Al Ahmed said.
Speaking on similar lines, committee member Ahmed Qarata commented,“ Citizens have to pay more for services related to passports and immigration, judicial services, electricity and water and Labour Market Regulatory Authority services.”
Quoting the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), Qarata said “Bahrainis borrowing have increased by 10pc recently, in order to cope with the increasing expenses of life and live decently.”
In addition to Al Ahmed and Qarata, the proposal was submitted by fellow MPs Ali Bufarsen, Mohammed Al Ammadi and Dr. Majeed Al Asfoor.
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