KUWAIT CITY, Aug 25: Director General of Kuwait Municipality Saud Al-Dabbous says the suspension of shift allowances and bonuses for 479 municipality employees occurred due to exceeding the number of employees permitted by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for shift work in the municipality. In an interview on the “60 Minutes” program on the Kuwait News channel, he explained that supervisory authorities had issued directives to Kuwait Municipality to address the issue of excessive number of staff working on the shift system and to rectify the defects in it. His decision to cut the shift allowance for some municipality employees was aimed to redistribute employees and reschedule them, so that employees can be transferred from places crowded with shift-based employees to other vacant or understaffed places.

Efforts are underway to update the municipality’s outdated organizational structure to better align with its role in national development and urban growth. This includes the introduction of new sectors, such as a dedicated environmental sector and a recycling waste sector. Al-Dabbous stressed the need to update and develop the municipality’s organizational structure and sectors in parallel with reforming the outdated municipality law. He indicated that the municipality’s functions are closely linked with the work and activities of all ministries, authorities, and government agencies.

Al-Dabbous said, “One week ago, the preparation of a comprehensive and integrated draft law for the municipality was completed. It is completely different from the current law in force for the municipality, which was established in 2009. The draft of the new municipality law has been submitted to the Minister of Municipal Affairs Dr. Noura Al-Mashaan for review and approval by the Council of Ministers. The new law is expected to transform the municipality’s operations and address shortcomings in its executive functions, which have long been hindered by the existing law.” Regarding the public oversight of the municipality’s work, Al-Dabbous affirmed that changing the municipality’s organizational structure will address this issue by separating the sectors responsible for licensing and implementation from those tasked with monitoring compliance both during and after implementation.

Previously, the municipality handled licensing, implementation, and monitoring within the same sector. He said the municipality already has specialized oversight bodies, such as field teams that are dedicated to monitoring and ensuring adherence to the municipality’s regulations and laws. Al-Dabbous stressed the need to not accuse or constantly criticize the municipality without verifying the facts. He said he respects constructive criticism and maintains an open-door policy, adding that he has allocated Sundays for holding meetings with the general public and Mondays after 2:00 pm for municipality employees.

Al-Dabbous concluded by praising the young national staff working in the municipality for their role in implementing its vision and strategy, highlighting their success in achieving 40 percent of its goals. He expressed hope that 90 percent of the municipality’s strategic goals will be achieved shortly.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Director General of the Capital and Jahra Municipality Sectors Mohammad Saud Al-Mutairi stated that the municipality provides various services related to construction, commercial licenses, and shops. He explained that the municipality issues licenses for all stages of construction, from receiving initial permits and excavation to the implementation of the project, connection of electricity, and issuing a description certificate for transferring building ownership. Al-Mutairi highlighted the municipality’s success in digitizing these construction-related services and transitioning from paper to electronic systems through collaboration with contractors and engineering offices.

Regarding commercial licenses, Al-Mutairi said the municipality collaborates with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, highlighting the existence of an electronic interface between Kuwait Municipality, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the Public Authority for Civil Information for enabling the issuance of commercial licenses electronically without the need for investors or company owners to visit the municipality in person.

Furthermore, Deputy Director General of the Development and Information Sector in Kuwait Municipality Yousef Al-Azmi stated that the Information Development Sector aims to create an integrated digital environment to enhance service delivery and streamline procedures for saving time and effort. He highlighted the development of the municipality’s website and the services provided through it, including an online complaint program for citizens and residents. This program integrates GPS and GIS features, making it easier to submit and track complaints via mobile phone. Al-Azmi explained that the Director General of Kuwait Municipality issued a circular regarding the need for all complaints to be addressed within 48 hours.

The sector is working on a new electronic program for licensing advertisements in a manner that is significantly better than the previous system. It will allow immediate submission, fee payment, and issuance of licenses without any delay. Also, a new electronic program for licensing umbrella shades, which was developed in collaboration with the Central Agency for Information Technology, will expedite the issuance process. Al-Azmi concluded by highlighting the ongoing integration of all municipal services into the Sahel application, including the ability to issue health licenses, inquire about description certificates and electricity connections, and view property technical files of properties.

Also, the Deputy Director General of the Projects Sector at Kuwait Municipality Eng. Maysa Boushahri outlined the various types of projects under municipal supervision. She explained that there are projects solely for the municipality, including the construction of a new 40-floor administrative building on Shuhada Street and an 11-fl oor building for the Ahmadi Municipality.
By Inaas Awadh
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff