Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry said it continued efforts during 2025 to ensure the availability of essential goods and materials at reasonable prices while protecting consumers from manipulation and exploitation.
According to the ministry’s annual report, reviewed by Al-Anbaa newspaper, consumer protection remains a key part of its role in monitoring local markets. Its measures include commodity subsidies and regulation of the ration card system through ministerial decisions issued during the year.
The ministry said its approach to inflation and price fluctuations reflects Kuwait’s free-market economy, where supply and demand and fair competition largely determine prices. Government intervention in pricing is therefore focused on essential goods and materials considered necessary for consumers, while luxury and other non-controlled goods remain subject to market forces.
Among the measures outlined in the report is the subsidization of basic commodities covered by the ration card system, with prices determined through ministerial decisions. Subsidized construction materials include iron, cement and limestone bricks.
The ministry also maintains a strategic reserve of essential commodities sufficient to meet population needs for six months. The reserve includes rice, vegetable oils, powdered and liquid milk, sugar, lentils, flour, tomato paste and chicken, helping ensure supplies during emergencies.
The export of state-subsidized goods is prohibited to ensure their continued availability in Kuwait and prevent subsidized products from being diverted to overseas markets because of lower domestic prices.
The ministry also coordinates with entities including the Kuwait Supply Company, the Union of Cooperative Societies and Kuwait Flour Mills and Bakeries Company. Support is provided to facilitate the supply and distribution of essential goods, including costs associated with regular and refrigerated warehouses, transportation and storage.
The ministry identified effective market oversight as one of its main objectives, with the aim of maintaining a balance between consumer and merchant interests. It said consumer awareness is being strengthened by providing information about market choices, consumer rights, relevant laws and ministerial decisions.
Inspection teams continue to monitor businesses and public markets to detect fraud, manipulation and violations of pricing regulations.
A second key objective is maintaining citizens’ living standards and ensuring access to basic commodities at reasonable prices. Policies include subsidies for essential food and construction materials, coordination with importers and distributors, and development of strategic reserves to support long-term food security.
The ministry also conducts ongoing audits and inspections of distribution entities to ensure compliance with ministerial decisions governing individual quotas and selling prices.
Work is underway to expand the automated ration card system across cooperative society branches in Kuwait. The system is being upgraded to support a smart card that will eventually replace the existing ration card.
Separately, the ministry recorded an increase in revenues during the 2024/2025 fiscal year. Actual revenues reached approximately KD23.877 million, compared with KD23.529 million in 2023/2024, representing an increase of about KD338,900.
Actual expenditure during 2024/2025 stood at approximately KD450.696 million, down by KD41.686 million from around KD492.383 million in the previous fiscal year.
The ministry’s Stores and Custody Department issued 456 disbursement requests and 350 purchase requests during the fiscal year, while the Procurement Department issued 341 purchase orders.
The Tenders and Contracts Department issued 629 invoices and 39 contracts during the 2024/2025 fiscal year, according to data from the ministry’s Financial Affairs Department.
