Bewilderment dominates government decisions

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THE precautionary measures imposed by the Minister of Health and implemented by the government are no longer meaningful. They have become a burden on the people, and a mixture of charade and tragedy. This is due to the absence of a clear vision by the executive authority on how to manage public affairs that represent a huge burden after experiencing the longest period of curfew known to the world. It continues in one way or another by tightening the rope on the neck of an economy that suffers from several diseases caused by the abnormal political situation into which the country sank years ago.

The current economic and financial crisis is much more than mere decisions issued by the committee responsible for managing the response to COVID-19 crisis. It does not take into account the negative consequences that have more impact than the spread of the virus.

After the Minister of Health presented his insight about these measures, the Minister of Finance did not discuss with him the financial difficulties incurred by citizens. The Minister of Commerce and Industry did not present to the Cabinet the risky consequences of the ill-considered lockdown. The Minister of Interior did not present his insight and expectations in terms of confronting the public frustration and dealing with the crimes caused by taking away people’s livelihoods.

This leads us to another set of questions – Was the government up to the responsibility in the previous curfew? Did it provide alternatives to the public or did it put in place an imaginary stimulus plan full of mines and obstacles in order not to spend a penny of public money?

Does the deadly virus spread only in barbershops, sports clubs and small enterprises ? If after that, groceries, clothing stores and other small service facilities are closed, what will the government provide to those affected?

Will it be like the United States of America that announced its stimulus measures for the third time, or as Germany and Britain did, and even some less wealthy countries than Kuwait?

Did the government benefit from the Saudi, Emirati and Bahraini experiences in this regard, which provided support to its people without setting up barriers to such support? Or would it suffice to implement the orders of the traditional health minister only?

There is no doubt that the government is in a state of bewilderment, which will lead to more wrong decisions and fuel the public resentment against it.

It has simply proven that it does not have a clear plan not only to deal with this pandemic, but to manage all of the country’s affairs. Here lies the tragedy that the public will pay for.

The charade is that the executive authority continues to operate as if it were a “diwaniya” and not a Cabinet that is supposed to include an elite of smart people who plan and specialize in matters of their ministries. Unfortunately, their positions seem to have become linked to prestige and not for protecting the interests of this country.

When we raise our voice loudly and say that the government does not know how to operate, they blame us for that. The government’s confusion indicates that the future is worse as long as it does not realize that money is equivalent to the soul, and that protecting people from a pandemic also requires protecting them from poverty as well.

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times

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