KUWAIT CITY, Jan 25: Minister of Social Affairs, Family, and Childhood Affairs Dr. Amthal Al-Huwailah inaugurated the central control room for monitoring cooperative societies in Abdullah Al-Salem suburb, which falls under the ministry’s jurisdiction. The step marks a major advancement in field, administrative, and financial monitoring, utilizing modern technologies to enhance oversight and improve coordination among relevant government agencies. During the tour, Dr. Al-Huwailah explained that this system is essential, reflecting the cooperation and integration between the Ministry of Social Affairs, which oversees cooperative societies, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Interior, and other government entities. This integration and cooperation contributes to preserving strategic reserves, ensuring food security, and monitoring the prices of essential goods offered to consumers in cooperative societies. Dr. Al-Huwailah indicated that the coming period will witness an increase in the number of cameras and expanded monitoring coverage.

She highlighted that the electronic administrative and financial monitoring system allows ministry employees to monitor operations via smartphones, with reports accessible at any time. Dr. Al-Huwailah revealed that 191 cameras, distributed across 76 cooperative societies, are currently connected to the system, and this number will be increased in the future.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sayed Issa, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Administrative, Financial, and Cooperative Affairs, explained that the central control room is equipped with several systems, including a surveillance network covering cooperative societies, their central markets, and food supply centers, with 191 monitoring points in various cooperative societies. The system is connected to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the Ministry of Interior.

The surveillance cameras have a storage capacity of up to four months. The control room operates continuously, 24/7, throughout the year. He announced the completion of the project to connect the central markets and food supply branches of cooperative societies, covering 191 locations, to monitor the markets and the operations of the supply branches through the central operations room in Al-Siddiq, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Dr. Issa highlighted the connection with the Ministry of Interior’s Security Systems Department and the provision of a link to the control room in Abdullah Al-Salem suburb for viewing data from the control room at the Ministry of Social Affairs.

He explained that this linkage comes in implementation of ministerial decisions, circulars from the Union of Consumer Cooperative Societies, and Law No. 61/2015 concerning the regulation and installation of security cameras and monitoring devices at the Ministry of Interior, under the supervision of the Assistant Undersecretary for Financial and Administrative Affairs and Cooperative Affairs, the Director General of the General Department of Cooperative Affairs, and the Committee for Monitoring Supply Branches in Cooperative Societies.

Dr. Issa revealed that they have received 1,554 applications so far for the position of Financial and Administrative Controller, adding that the applications will be reviewed, with 30 vacancies allocated for Financial Controllers and 60 vacancies for Administrative Controllers. Stating that applications will close next Thursday, Dr. Issa explained that applicants will take a test, followed by a personal interview for those who pass. In the event of a tie between two or more applicants, the selection will be made through a public lottery.

By Fares Ghaleb Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff