Kuwait MP rails against expat mafia on health

Fingerprint attendance for State employees hit

MP Mubarak Al-Hajraf has asked those doubting the intentions of lawmakers who are pushing for the implementation of reforms to see the announcement posted by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) about the one-time recruitment of all citizens who hold certificates in Law and Accountancy.

He said this came after Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and State Minister for Economic Affairs Hind Al-Sabeeh decided to recruit expatriates to fill up posts which require the two aforementioned specializations. He affirmed this announcement is the result of public and political pressure, so the minister must be aware that MPs are serious in their bid to hold her accountable.

He added the lawmakers are ready to expose the corrupt acts of the minister, including mismanagement of government institutions. He went on to say, “I salute those who launched the hashtag ‘#fall of expatriates’ MPs’ as it is a manifestation that the people of Kuwait are against the idea of postponing the application of new medical fees for expatriates. I reiterate my objection to cancellation, reduction or delayed implementation of these fees.

MPs should fulfill their oath in front of God and the citizens. It is quite risky as there have been movements indicating that the mafia of expatriates has the ability to influence State decisions to serve their interests.”

Meanwhile, MP Safa Al- Hashem has expressed objection to a directive requiring all State employees to register their attendance through the fingerprint system. She argued the conscience of employees, teachers or doctors is the driving force for them to report for work within the specified time, not the fear of being late or failure to have their fingerprints recorded in the attendance system.

On her Twitter account, the lawmaker posted, “Unfortunately, the fingerprint system proved to be an administrative failure on the part of the State for many years, as it has not been able to touch the conscience of public sector employees.

The State has yet to implement the reward and punishment system, while failure and negligence continue and hardworking employees are not promoted.” She pointed out that the corrupt administrative system and weak organizational structure have encouraged defiance over the years. The hardworking employees protested but no one listened to them. These employees did not receive any reward for their punctuality and work ethics, she concluded.