publish time

15/12/2020

author name Arab Times

publish time

15/12/2020

KUWAIT CITY, Dec 15: Monitoring reports have recorded a number of observations related to employee affairs in the Ministry of Public Works and the Public Authority for Roads and Transportation that resulted in the wastage of public funds because some employees obtained them unlawfully, reports Al-Qabas daily.

Among the most prominent of these observations are the ministry’s delay in implementing the financial impact of employees who are absent from work for long periods, and the laxity in implementing Article No. 30 of CSC’s decision, which stipulates that those absent from work without permission shall be deprived of salary, allowances and workers’ benefits. The reports indicated that the ministry continued to unjustly pay a sum of KD 292,000 to the employees who had been absent for long periods of time, and this sum must be recovered without delay.

The reports stated that the observations also include the delay in stopping the payment of salaries, bonuses and allowances for employees who are sent on leave or study scholarships with or without pay. Some of those who were sent with a salary were paid bonuses and allowances of almost KD 13,000, and this does not comply with guidelines of salary.

The ministry paid bonuses to an employee, despite being delegated to work for another entity, for a whole year, which was in violation of the decisions of CSC which stipulate that the entity he is assigned to work for shall bear that. The reports also highlighted the continued disbursement of social allowance to some employees, despite the verification of the legal reason that requires the suspension of its disbursement. For example, if an employee’s only wife divorces or dies, the employee is treated as bachelor from the beginning of the following month. Such laxity resulted in the disbursement of sums of up to a total of KD 36,000.

The observations also is the failure to create an internal audit unit in the financial sector, despite its role in tightening internal control over disbursement operations and reducing irregularities that cause waste of public money.

The ministry paid full salary to some female employees, despite their enjoyment of family, maternity and childcare leave without or with half salary, which resulted in the disbursement of amounts exceeding KD 10,000.

The observations included disbursement of remunerations of the financial jobs for some with university qualifications in the field of accounting, despite their lack of work in their field of specialization, adding that this covered a period of 180 days, and the disbursed remuneration totaled KD 2,400. Six observations 1- Laxity in implementing the verdict of the Court of Cassation, 2- Unjustly giving bonuses, 3- Laxity in collecting debts, 4- Not creating an internal audit unit, 5- Paying full salaries to female employees who are on maternity leave, 6- Disbursing social allowance in violation of the law.