WHAT is transpiring in some of the state institutions is hilarious to the extent of shedding tears. We especially highlight the Public Institution of Social Security, an institution on which 140,000 citizens depend for their pension.
The officials of this institution and the concerned ministers had tried to show off before His Highness the Crown Prince by announcing annual profits of $17 billion. However, His Highness had immediately ordered the payment of a part of these profits to the pensioners as a grant. Soon after, the concerned officials fell into a trap that they created with their own hands, as they revealed their inability to pay the grant as ordered. This issue then turned into a battle between the government and the MPs who gain from the pain of people.
For a long time, the Public Institution for Social Security announced its suffering from an actuarial deficit, which has increased in recent years to reach about $22 billion, obligating the State Treasury to pay it as it accrues.
Therefore, the bragging they displayed in front of the political leadership to deceive was enough to not only dismiss the institution’s officials, but also remove the government together with the parliament.
This is due to the fact that those who are deceived in such a case will undoubtedly be deceived in a more serious situation, and therefore will not be honest in the task they are undertaking.
It is true that the state is interested in paying this deficit. Even though it did not do anything to stop this farce that the retirees are exposed to, there is a realistic solution that will not cost it any penny. The state owns huge areas of untapped land valued at more than KD 240 billion, and part of it is turned into waste landfills.
The question is — What prevents the state from granting the social security institution a chunk of land to invest in the establishment of industrial, residential, and recreational cities, as seen in neighboring countries?
This will undoubtedly enable the state to hit more than one bird with a stone. First, it would reduce the deficit, and end the suffering of retirees, whose numbers will undoubtedly increase in the coming years. Second, it would stimulate the construction market, which is the backbone of the rest of the markets. Third, it would open the door to local and foreign investments, and raise the revenues of the institution and its investment funds, which will bring great benefits to all.
In fact, the problem of Kuwait lies in its governments which are not working on realistic long-term plans. Each of them comes up with “a wind in its belly”, and therefore remains afraid of interpellation. It instead preoccupies itself with making settlements with the MPs in order to keep certain ministers away from the platform of political execution.
Nonetheless, the people are the ones who end up paying the price of all this. For this reason, the country remains captive to that fearful mentality and is unable to make a decision.
Staying in such a state leads to ominous consequences. Therefore, a firm decision-maker must give everyone his right, and stop this absurdity that has further weakened the state socially and politically. Most of the fire starts from tiny spark. How many embers caused by weak governments rage under the ashes?
Is there anyone who realizes the magnitude of the danger and immediately works to remedy the country? Or will the matter remain in the state of neglect and indifference? Or is it a pointless effort?
By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times
