‘Reward for frontliners good move’
‘Nurses, police, firemen deserve it’
“THE Cabinet’s decision to financially reward government employees who work on the frontlines to confront the coronavirus is a good initiative and a positive attitude, especially since these workers are soldiers who give all they have and endanger their health and life in the face of this epidemic in defense of Kuwait and all who live on this good land,” columnist Dr Hamad Al-Matar wrote for Al-Rai daily.
“Certainly this initiative is positive and deserving. However it must include all those working on the front line to keep at bay the virus irrespective whether are Kuwaitis, bedoun or expatriates since all of them are exerting equal efforts and make sacrifices because all are exposed to an equal level of danger since the epidemic and the disease does not differentiate between Kuwaitis and others, including the bedoun and some of those working on the front lines have lost their lives.
“Therefore, the Cabinet is obliged not to forget these people and to include them in any initiative that is aimed at rewarding and honoring them.
“In this regard, we affirm that the first to be honored are nurses of all nationalities, since they have been the real human shields against the epidemic in the front rows. Also, many of our sons and brothers who are not working in the Ministry of Health and its institutions offered a lot and must be included in the reward, especially those working in the Ministry of Interior who were in the front rows combating the epidemic, as well as the National Guard employees and the Kuwaiti army, who were ahead of time in preparing field hospitals and supporting health and security institutions to deal with the epidemic.
“We must also remember the media department of the Ministry of Health and employees in the Kuwait Fire Service Department who participated with their brothers working in other institutions in the front rows, and they are the same as workers in the Ministry of Health in terms of efforts and exposure to the risk of epidemic. We must also honor and reward the youth who volunteered and some of whom were infected with the virus since their efforts have been very effective and made a difference in the battle against the epidemic in terms of organization and conduct of work.
“In this regard, we suggest that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor stop deducting 25 percent of the cooperative society’s profits and use them in honoring the volunteers whose efforts have had a significant impact on the societies’ ability to organize work during this period, as well as honoring the cooperative societies ’boards in appreciation of their tireless efforts, as well as distributing masks for free to all the shareholders in each cooperative.
“We also propose here to organize a popular campaign to honor and reward all front-line workers, especially those who have been affected, whether they have been infected with the epidemic and have been cured or who have lost their lives to compensate their families and ensure the future of their children; and this can be done by entrusting one of the charity committees with organizing this campaign and addressing the donors, merchants, companies, citizens, and people of charity, and that these sums be disbursed to all those affected without regard to their nationalities, sects, etc.
“Kuwait is a country of charity and charitable work that never forgets who exert efforts to protect the health of all.”
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“I will not go into details about the government’s recent surprise. To me, it unfortunately seems the government does not learn from the mistakes of the previous governments after the liberation, and its bona fide initiatives such as cancellation of loans and easing restrictions on many issues as if the state was expressing regrets about what happened to the country in terms of the invasion,” columnist Iqbal Al-Ahmad wrote for Al-Qabas daily.
“The culture of giving gifts and grants to people after a period of hardship and suffering experienced by Kuwaitis both inside and outside the country creates a pampered culture in the society and leads to people not accepting duties and rendering them never to get tired of demanding for more and more grants and gifts.
“Naturally, it is rare for materialistic and shortterm benefits to create a real and strong impulse and motivation to move forward with achievement and success, and to strengthen patriotism, given that such characteristics are achieved through moral and longterm rewards.
“Unfortunately, the financial rewards that the government announced recently did not achieve its intended objectives. As soon as material reward coats the voluntary work aimed at serving the nation, it usually diminishes the impact of such work. Patriotism and volunteerism are high and sublime virtues.
“Volunteering is very different from paying overtime to any party. I am not the kind who loves criticism for the purpose of criticizing and belittling, but rather criticizing to give a suggestion and an alternative.
“If there is a need to reward such noble works, it should be, for instance, by repaying loans or material obligations. Only this would enableus to hit more than one bird with one stone. Medals of appreciation are much better than any financial rewards.
“May the Lord Almighty help us in prioritizing the interest of the nation above any narrow and shallow interests.”
“During the coronavirus epidemic, shops were closed, which of course resulted in losses for the traders even though they had been making good profits during normal days. After the total lockdown is lifted, we fear that the prices of goods and services will rise immediately or in the coming weeks and months. Traders will try to compensate for the losses they incurred from closing their stores, although they do not usually suffer any loss during normal days because Kuwaiti society consumes a lot of goods and services”, former ambassador of Kuwait Ahmad AlDawas wrote for Al-Seyassah daily. “For example, if the price of a commodity prior to the epidemic was KD 10, it is likely to rise to KD 17.
“The director of one of the airlines had said, ‘Ticket prices after COVID-19 pandemic will not be the same as before’, and he compared the price of tickets with other airlines.
“The matter is serious. It is possible that the income of citizens and residents will be affected if the new price rates continue to rise in the coming months. The question here is: Will the prices return to what they were before the outbreak?
“If the cost of a commodity is KD 5 normally and it rises to KD 8 after the total lockdown is lifted, will it return to its previous condition? If a traveler pays KD 100 normally to travel and the ticket price increases to KD 150, will the ticket price return to KD 100 after one or two months?
“Will the cost of car repairs return to what it was before the epidemic? If prices do not return to what they were, then this means citizens will suffer from an increase in the cost of living.
“The rate of inflation in Kuwait did not exceed three percent annually for several years, so we hope that it does not rise this time. Perhaps the prices will not return to what it was, so we hope the government will intervene in the economy to control the prices.
“Kuwaiti citizens are consumers of many commodities and services such as food from restaurants, construction materials for building their homes, their need for painting, carpentry and mechanic services.
“Perhaps all of these traders will increase the amounts they get from citizens under the pretext that they are absent from the market, or by increasing the costs; which thus will lead to ‘a general rise in the prices’, as is the economic term. Then both the traders and craftsmen will increase the prices, which will affect the citizens’ salaries, and this increase in prices may not decrease in the future. It is possible that the traders, manufacturers, and the workers will invoke the cost, and there will be noone to tell you, ‘We have returned to our previous price’.
“Oh government, impose strict price controls, and those who violate your decisions should be subject to financial penalties. Do not leave an opportunity open for the traders to increase the prices; neither sellers, restaurants or craftsmen. Prior to the crisis, every citizen and expatriate dreamed of rise in salaries, so everybody now wants the government to control the prices.
“Do not move the wheel of inflation, please. We are better off than many of the countries that have been plagued by inflation and that led many people to protest and denounce government stances or take to the streets to demand improvement in their living conditions.”