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Kuwait City / AFP
A Kuwaiti court on Wednesday said a government decision to increase petrol prices was unlawful nearly one month after it took effect in the oil-rich Gulf country.
The court said the decision “breached
the law” because of procedural flaws, according to a copy of the verdict obtained by AFP. It said the price hike should have
been approved by the Supreme Petroleum Council, the country’s highest oil decision-making body.
The court, whose rulings can be contested, however rejected another request to suspend the hike immediately, before the high courts have issued their verdicts on the matter. This means the new increased petrol prices, which went into effect on September 1, will remain in place until the appeals court issues its verdict. The supreme court is the highest in the country and its verdicts are final.
The price hike, ranging from about
40 to 80 percent depending on the type, met stiff opposition from lawmakers
and activists when introduced following a slide in oil revenues. It was the first such increase since 1998.