‘Corona reveals govt shortcomings’
‘Take stock, build new Kuwait’
“NO TWO people will disagree that Kuwait has been suffering for years from the inability of successive governments to tackle and address the files seriously, but have been preoccupied with either with marginal issues or with immediate reactions, or with clear negligence. No government has assumed responsibility in the past three decades to address the issues directly, or to adopt a time plan to arrange the handling of these files,” columnist Mohammad Al-Moqatea’a wrote for Al-Jarida daily.
“This has exacerbated these issues despite the constant warning from many parties about the seriousness of these files and the grave effects that they entail day after day which have worsened in the absence of an emergency plan and the imbalance of the demographic structure until the percentage of Kuwaitis fell to a quarter of the population in the country – meaning three quarters of the population are foreigners – which have inflated the government sectors.
“This is in addition to the presence of marginal labor which has increased at a frightening pace; lack of jobs for Kuwaitis most of whom face delay in recruitment, worn out health services, low education, the problem of admission at the university, widespread corruption, and institutional weakness of the Council of Ministers and the fragility of its composition, the absence of good governance, the continuous loss of the abilities of state institutions and organs, and the housing problem.
“The ‘corona’ crisis has revealed the real and realistic suffering involved in these files, rather, many of these is concerning security, health, social, economic, and educational aspects; however the solution to these issues were partial and temporary.
“As responsible people and government, we are under obligation to go through two parallel tracks to address the overburdened files, and to deal with their repercussions before and during the corona pandemic so that after the end of the pandemic we can see a different Kuwait.
“The first track was for clear and strict arrangements for gradual return to normalcy, which should be elaborate and compounded with a detailed plan, obligating the precautionary measures, and a deliberate application of social distancing, including the introduction of the option of partial (or full) remote work for office business employees; application of social distancing and strict precautionary measures in public places (markets, mosques, parks, etc.).
“This is in addition to the elimination of unwanted labor which poses health and security risks; resolving the status of education postponement and acknowledging the difficulty of resuming the school year in August, because it is impossible to implement precautionary measures and social distancing in schools, and the resumption of distance learning during June and July to end the school year, as well as university education.
“What should also be taken into consideration is the resumption of the academic and university year also, by adopting distance learning for the new academic year from September to January (first semester) while reviewing the developments.
“The second track strategic direction should be based on Kuwaitization in government sector, especially the judiciary, within 18 months, and providing jobs for citizens; adjusting the demographic structure to be less than 1:1 Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti ratio; replacement of skilled and unskilled workers (especially from Bahrain, Oman and Yemen), then from the Levant in the place of undisciplined labor.
“What is also important is selecting ministers from the elected MPs who are not employees, or those who just receive orders from those who like to show off in order to reinforce the institutionalization of the Council of Ministers and good governance.
“This is in addition to the strict control should be exercised with all transparency and publicity in the bidding and awarding of tenders and contracts and not to be complacent or cover up corruption and corrupt practices and to rid the supervisory bodies of weakness and hesitation because of the existence of numerous interventions in their work.
“And last but not the least the application of tax on companies, commercial establishments and commercial and investment real estate activities.”
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“It is of essence to note that a service provider should not mortgage the service to the beneficiary. Therefore, the zeal of providing service to others should stem from a need in the soul, which may be apparent to the service giver who is either conscious or unconscious about it,” wrote Ahmad Al-Sarraf for Al-Qabas daily .
“He who donates to us in the Humanitarian Friendship Association does not know who his donations will go to and we neither know those we have paid, and they certainly do not know who we are! We help others because that makes us better human beings, while others accept the support we extend to them because they are in need of it, and it gives them a sense of gratitude, knowing that there is still kindness in this world!
“Consequently, we should not expect distinct treatment, as Kuwaitis, when we visit any country our government previously granted aid or loans to, because that country did not compel us to do so. Rather, we provided assistance to those countries for many reasons and motives.
“The same applies to whoever helps his brother and pulls him out of financial stumbling. The helping hand extended to your brother in times of need is not to make him feel indebted to you forever. It’s rather based on the desire to preserve the reputation of your family, and so on. The strength of some family members complements the strength of the rest of the family, and vice versa.
“So, when the Egyptians say they helped us and still do, we say it did not come by force, because it was done with the consent of two parties whose leaderships believe that we are part of an Arab system. The weakness of one of the parties leads to the weakness of the other, assuming of course, that they provided what others couldn’t give.
“I do not remember reading from any self-respecting official agency that Kuwait helped educate Emirates’ students or give their citizens medical treatment. Accordingly, we should stop counting each other’s preferences, as no one forced us to spend on the education or treatment of others, and financing their projects or helping them militarily and morally without full or clear acceptance.
“Those who do not feel that we have a serious problem related to demographics and that the bulk of the problem lies in the Egyptian community, and those who believe there are easy solutions to the problem and that the matter only requires a decision are under an illusion.
“Any ill-considered and hasty behavior will have profound political, financial and security implications, and we must know our capabilities without compromising our freedom in the making of whatever decision, considering our dignity as a people and independent country.
“In a valuable interview with Captain Sami Al-Nisf on Al-Jazeera Channel, he mentioned that every hundred Asians need one policeman while Arabs need hundred soldiers for the same number, as he compared the situation of the Arab citizens working in Gulf countries, indicating Arabs are politicized!
“Therefore, it is never easy to solve the problem of large numbers, particularly the loose and violating Egyptian workers, without helping them find a solution to their situation. Also, the case will not end with the deportation of one hundred or two hundred thousand of them, if we do not have alternative replacement plans in place or able to prevent their return in future. The problem and danger may not lie in these scenarios. Rather, it’s in a few influential people. Many vital facilities mainly rely on Egyptian experiences. Lawyers’ offices are barely devoid of an Egyptian consultant.
“There is no important administration in any ministry or government agency that does not have an Egyptian consultant, and they play a vital role that cannot be easily dispensed with, so we must have a Plan B ready in all cases.
The government should also know that the adviser’s role is to provide advice, based on his experience, and not to adapt laws and texts to serve the whims of the official. The painful thing is that we, the government and the people, are the cause of the demographics problem, not the working communities among us.
“We have failed educationally, politically and administratively to create cadres for the most complicated and sensitive jobs, because before that, we failed to find enough simple skills in our oil industries and water refineries. We left those facilities and our own fate in the hands of others. At the same time, we graduated tens of thousands of ‘semi-unemployable expertise’ in religious institutes and colleges, as well as teachers of painting and physical education.
“Kuwait 2020 is not the Abbasid state in the seventh century, and Egyptians are not Baramese (Baramakah), so it is necessary to do something to control the situation. The Brotherhood will definitely exploit the misunderstanding between both countries and push the issue to the abyss, so we must be cautious about their moves against the people of both the countries.”
“Kuwait’s membership in the United Nations Security Council ended at the end of December 2019. The delegation spent two years bearing the responsibility that the global family had placed on its shoulders with confidence for its rise to the highest possible level in its positivity towards issues it found in its files during its work. With this, the second visit of Kuwait to the world of the Security Council had ended,” Mishref Aqab wrote for Al-Shahed daily.
“I was the first to set up the Kuwait tent in this world in 1978. During the two years we spent in the world of the Security Council, we played a great and honorable role in all issues, the most important of which is the central Palestinian issue and the solution to all issues in all the countries through peaceful means with meaningful and constructive dialogue. Kuwait had made a great contribution in the world to spread the culture for peace, and serious and purposeful dialogue.
“Kuwait’s non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council with 188 votes reflected the level of international appreciation it received under the leadership of His Highness the Amir of Humanity and Humility, due to its vital humanitarian role in helping all countries of the world.
“Kuwait’s contributions to help all countries of the world, fight poverty, raise the standard of decent living, and ensure sustainable development in the countries of the world and their morals during the current year, were based on initiatives that addressed many of the goals of sustainable development especially those related to youth participation, climate change, cultural heritage, gender equality and disability.
“Kuwait worked with member states to prevent conflicts and wars, and sought to solve problems peacefully and expedite their procedures so as not to exacerbate them and make them more complex.
“The importance of working in the Security Council to reform the United Nations is aimed at ensuring the international organization is keeping pace with the surrounding events in the world, and for strengthening international peace and security.
“Kuwait represented the Arabs, the Asian groups, Islamic cooperation, and countries bordering the Pacific. It worked to discuss everything related to Arab issues and the problems facing our Arab and Islamic nations. Kuwait has been doing good for many years. Its victory in the Security Council is considered as a gain in support for all Arab countries and the Arab Gulf states. It won a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for two years, starting in January 2018 and ending on the last day of 2019.
“It is scheduled to assume the rotating presidency of the Security Council next February, knowing that Kuwait and Egypt were elected from different geographical groups due to the established practice that one of the Arab countries rotates in the membership of the Council for Asia and Africa, which is in practice. This means permanent Arab membership in the Security Council, and Kuwait will enter, whereby the council consists of 15 members. Each member has one vote, including five permanent members which have a veto each - China, France, Russia, Britain, the United States, and ten nonpermanent members that are elected for a period of two years, in addition to the Economic and Social Council.
“Kuwait, which joined the United Nations in 1963, attained membership in the Security Council in 1978 and 1979. Upon its candidacy for the seat on behalf of Asian countries and with full Arab-Islamic support, Kuwait pledged to follow up the implementation of Security Council resolutions related to resolving regional conflicts, and work on stimulating the role of the Security Council in preventing conflict by investing the capabilities of the United Nations in preventive diplomacy and dealing with all crises that threaten international peace and security. Stay blessed.”
“For more than 50 years, the criminals (visa traders) have wreaked havoc in our country and violated the dignity of human beings especially the menial workers who after they are brought into the country they go in search of livelihood,” columnist Saud Al-Samaka wrote for AlSeyassah daily.
“None of the governments which came to power over more than 50 years have moved a finger to punish these criminal. The government silence has only encouraged them to carry out their criminal actions and they have succeeded in increasing and multiplying their criminal activity.
“In all cases, during the past fifty years the country did not feel the size of the dangers hiding behind this crime but it surfaced in the current situation, and the circumstances in which we find ourselves because of the outbreak of the epidemic that is sweeping the world killing and infecting people in their thousands because this virus cannot be stopped either by people manning their borders or by building dams. The only escape now is treatment which is in the shape of ‘home quarantine’ to prevent infection.
“So the people have begun to sense the danger and for which the visa traffickers alone are responsible and everyone now talks about the need of modifying the demographics, and it appears the government, faced with this epidemic, has postponed all its duties to devote itself to confront the epidemic.
“And I, through this angle, want to tell the government it is better to hit the iron when it is hot. It is the best time to deal with this file and resolve the issue by mobilizing the state agencies and its willingness to resolve every issue.”