Justice Minister: Guarantors Campaign Ends with Donations Exceeding 16.5 Million Dinars, Benefiting 3,807 Individuals

Kuwait City, Nov 1 (KUNA) -- Justice Minister and Advisor Nasser Al-Sameet announced the conclusion of the debtors’ relief campaign, which was launched on the 27th of last Ramadan with the approval of Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. He noted that despite the circumstances the country has experienced, the campaign witnessed exceptional generosity that embodied the spirit of solidarity and compassion among Kuwaitis.

The announcement came during a press conference held by Minister Al-Sameet on Sunday to present the final results of the campaign after the targeted amount was fully paid. The event was attended by Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice Awatef Al-Sand and Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Technical and Administrative Affairs Nouf Al-Qabandi.

Al-Sameet stated that total donations amounted to 16.539659 million Kuwaiti dinars (approximately $53 million USD), contributed by 138,328 donors. The campaign benefited 3,807 individuals through the full or partial settlement of court-ordered amounts, with a total of 5,645 judgments issued against the beneficiaries.

He explained that the campaign led to the lifting of 14,928 enforcement measures, including travel bans, arrest warrants, and the seizure of bank accounts and vehicles, as well as the release of individuals from civil imprisonment. These actions had a direct positive impact on the lives of the beneficiaries and their families.

Regarding the distribution of the judgments covered by the campaign, Al-Sameet noted that 56 percent related to personal debts and claims, 30 percent to rent, and 14 percent to family-related expenses. The beneficiaries comprised 81 percent males and 19 percent females.

He expressed gratitude and appreciation to all donors, emphasizing that their contributions were the foundation of the campaign’s success. Each donation helped alleviate hardship, eased the burden on families, and reflected the generous spirit of Kuwaitis.

Minister Al-Sameet also praised the role of the media, press, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Kuwait Television, influencers, and all entities involved in promoting the campaign and mobilizing support. He extended his appreciation to Undersecretary Awatef Al-Sand, Acting Assistant Undersecretary Nouf Al-Qabandi, First Advisor Abdullah Al-Qasimi, head of the General Administration for Execution, execution judges, the six working teams comprising 52 personnel, and all staff members who contributed to the campaign’s success. He commended their efforts in reviewing and verifying files, completing settlement procedures, and lifting enforcement restrictions on beneficiaries.

The Justice Minister stressed that the campaign’s success was the result of collaboration among donors, participating entities, and ministry staff. He added that the impact of this generosity extends beyond debt settlement to supporting family stability and reducing financial burdens.

In response to questions about categories not covered by the donation campaign, the Justice Minister said, “There is no doubt that total debts are much larger than the campaign’s proceeds. However, the Ministry of Justice’s approach was to prioritize older cases over newer ones, with priority always given to females, in accordance with the announced conditions. Cases with enforcement measures were prioritized over those without, and individuals who had not benefited from previous donation campaigns were eligible. The maximum debt limit per case was 10,000 Kuwaiti dinars, and the debtor had to be genuinely insolvent.”

He added, “We were extremely careful to ensure that no individual received funds without meeting the specified conditions, especially since a significant portion of contributions consisted of zakat, which has specific religious distribution channels. Therefore, all files were treated as zakat amounts, with insolvency and indebtedness as the primary criteria.”

He further noted that some creditors, upon learning that the Ministry of Justice intended to pay them from the campaign funds, chose to fully forgive the debt without receiving any payment, after inquiries. He also pointed out that some creditors agreed to forgive a large portion of the debt in exchange for the settlement of the remaining balance and the closure of the case.

For his part, Advisor Al-Sumait said that a large portion of the debtors are guarantors, clarifying that all measures taken against a debtor are also applied to the guarantor, since the guarantor is liable with his personal assets. He stressed that everyone must be aware of the legal consequences and procedures associated with this, including arrest, detention, and travel bans, and that it is the Ministry’s responsibility to raise awareness about these matters. Regarding plans to organize another donation campaign for debtors, Advisor Al-Sumait announced that last week the Ministry of Justice received approval from His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister, to launch an exceptional and unprecedented campaign next Ramadan. He noted that the campaign would be joint, with a large number of topics and ideas to be studied under broader facilitations and conditions to cover the widest possible segment, while emphasizing that the core principle is actual insolvency, meaning the person must be genuinely unable to repay the amounts owed. (End) N.S. / T.M.