KUWAIT CITY, Jan 3: The Bureau for "Examination of Educational Certificates for Kuwaiti Citizen and Expat Employees," has communicated with government ministries in response to correspondence from the Prime Minister, the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, and the Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs. This correspondence is related to the conclusive report of the committee assigned to study and assess the Ministry of Higher Education's functions, particularly concerning the equivalence of academic certificates beyond the high school level.

In their outreach to ministries and governmental bodies, the Bureau has formally requested a comprehensive list detailing the names and particulars of individuals, encompassing both citizens and expatriates, who hold qualifications exceeding high school. This data is sought for individuals who acquired their qualifications from January 1, 2000, to the present. Furthermore, the Bureau has sought copies of academic qualifications, specializations, the conferring university, the country of granting, and any equivalency information associated with higher education qualifications.

This initiative aligns with the government's overarching commitment to scrutinize certificates and combat fraudulent practices. Following the establishment of a tripartite committee by the Council of Ministers, tasked with examining the certificates of all government employees, the Service Bureau has been enlisted to furnish essential data for the audit and review of certificates exhibiting questionable integrity.

Insiders familiar with the situation emphasize that the revelation of forged certificates will prompt the notification of relevant authorities. This, in turn, will lead to the revocation of appointments for employees and workers holding such certificates, coupled with legal actions against them.

It is noteworthy that Representatives Badr Nashmi, Faris Al-Otaibi, Daoud Marafi, Shuaib Shaaban, and Badr Sayyar have recently proposed amendments to Law No. 78 of 2019. These proposed changes aim to prohibit the utilization of non-equivalent academic certificates. The proposals explicitly state that reliance on any non-equivalent certificate from the Ministry of Higher Education is prohibited when employing individuals within governmental entities.