KUWAIT CITY, Jan 21: Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs Dr. Khaled Al-Ajmi confirmed that the third national campaign for debtors launched by the ministry is a resounding success, with donations exceeding KD15 million -- the highest compared to the previous two campaigns. In a televised interview, Al-Ajmi asserted this is a clear indication of the deep-rooted charitable work and human solidarity in the Kuwaiti society. He pointed that the abovementioned figure is a manifestation of the major support that the campaign received from civil society organizations, the private sector, individual donors and government entities.

He emphasized that this collaborative effort contributed to achieving the desired results and that the campaign is a model of institutional humanitarian work based on transparency and governmental integration. He revealed that the Social Affairs Ministry, through the four consecutive phases of the campaign, liberated 2,635 citizens from debt and closed more than 4,000 enforcement cases at the Ministry of Justice. He explained that the primary objective of the campaign is to enable beneficiaries to completely escape from the cycle of financial hardship and return to their normal lives without financial burdens, which hinder them or affect their family’s stability. He said the first phase of the campaign targeted citizens whose debts did not exceed KD5,000 and the full debt amount was paid. “The campaign then moved to the second phase, which included those whose debts did not exceed KD10,000, while the third phase was for those whose debts did not exceed KD15,000 and the debt limit for the fourth phase was KD16,500, depending on the amount of donations,” he elaborated.

He disclosed that the operational mechanism relied on the joint Sharia and technical committees, comprising of representatives from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Zakat House, Secretariat General of Endowments, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Social Affairs. He affirmed that these committees worked for more than nine consecutive months to establish the rules and criteria to distinguish between genuine debtors and those who are not, ensuring the donations reach the rightful recipients in a fair and transparent manner. He added that the number of applicants for the campaign exceeded 9,000, all of whom underwent thorough review, verification and field research. He commended the tremendous efforts exerted by the committee members in the research, verification and follow up procedures despite the considerable time and effort needed.

He stressed that the Ministry of Social Affairs prioritized those imprisoned in correctional facilities for non-criminal financial cases, based on the humanitarian and social dimensions of the campaign and its commitment to reunite families and alleviate the suffering of such prisoners and their families, as per the relevant regulations and conditions. On the challenges that the campaign faced, Al-Ajmi said the most difficult of these challenges were verifying eligibility and ensuring that applicants met the criteria in order to safeguard donors’ funds. He considers the presence of the Sharia and technical committees the cornerstone for overcoming such challenges and ensuring fairness. About the application requirements, he stated that the beneficiaries of the first and second campaigns were excluded in order to prevent duplication and to provide opportunities for the widest possible segment of the population. He added the age requirement was waived, leading to a comprehensive evaluation of each individual case.

He clarified that the Ministry of Social Affairs does not merely settle debts, as it also focuses on raising awareness among beneficiaries about the importance of changing their financial situation through awareness campaigns and social development centers, aiming to prevent a return to financial hardship and to maintain family stability, which is considered the foundation of society. He then expressed his gratitude to the donors, reiterating that all donations reached the rightful beneficiaries with full transparency and integrity. He said the Ministry of Social Affairs will contact major donors with official documentation detailing how the funds were spent, indicating the campaign is a commendable humanitarian endeavor, which reflects governmental cooperation and community solidarity in the country.

By Fares Ghaleb Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff