Following the liberation of Kuwait from the Iraqi invasion, the country entered a new and unfamiliar phase that was marked by the creation of numerous public institutions. Many of these entities were established to distribute positions and secure political and electoral loyalty. A report from several years ago indicated that around 100 public institutions had overlapping jurisdictions with ministries and other government bodies.
This overlap contributed to a further decline in government productivity and hindered the work of the private sector. Instead of streamlining procedures, the bureaucratic process expanded, turning transactions that once took one or two days into processes that now require weeks, thus negatively affecting companies and individuals alike.
Meanwhile, the report published recently in the daily on merging some government bodies and abolishing others is completely accurate. In today’s technological age, there is no need for so many documents, signatures, and such bureaucratic procedures that impede government productivity. Standardizing government services saves both time and money as well as increases institutional efficiency.
It is surprising that one ministry might grant a license for an activity, while another ministry prohibits it, or a third body suspends it for various reasons, as though each entity operates like an independent state. For instance, the Minister of Information and Culture, whose portfolio includes tourism, allowed landowners to establish facilities such as chalets and other amenities that contribute to what is globally known as “agritourism”. However, the Ministry of Finance and its affiliated bodies later objected, causing people to lose the money they had invested in these projects.
Other countries have allowed the establishment of such facilities for decades. The creation of this large number of public bodies was not primarily intended to provide jobs for citizens, but rather to secure electoral loyalty, serve the private interests of influential figures, and award contracts that do not benefit public finances, but instead increase waste and entrench corruption. For example, there are approximately 19 bodies tasked with oversight and combating corruption. The oversight authorities discovered that corruption and illicit enrichment were widespread in some of these institutions. It was found that some were merely tools to create senior positions the state did not need, but were for serving personal interests instead.
Everyone recalls the late Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad, who famously said, “Corruption has become too heavy for camels to carry.” Although he was referring to a specific institution at the time, this statement applies to nearly all ministries and public bodies, with very few exceptions.
The decline in performance and productivity, coupled with the practice of one institution issuing decisions only to have them overturned by another, highlights the absence of a clear administrative vision. This is why His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad, has consistently stressed the importance of sound financial planning, avoiding waste, and allocating budgets to top-priority projects.
Achieving this goal requires a comprehensive reform vision to modernize and develop the performance of government and public institutions, thereby increasing efficiency, combating corruption, and ensuring transparency.
Undoubtedly, this goal cannot be achieved without a comprehensive review of the roles of public institutions and resolving any overlaps in their jurisdictions. Through such fundamental reform, institutions can be established that do not waste public funds for the personal gain of a few influential figures. This radical reform will strengthen the state’s ability to maintain its path of progress
