Kuwait Vision 2035 includes effective mgmt, ratings boost

KUWAIT:

The State of Kuwait is seeking to upgrade its rankings in all indications, including administrative and economic ones, through implementing the ‘Kuwait 2035 Vision’ which is an integrated pillar of an effective government management of the State’s resources.

The implementation of the cornerstone contributes to improving rankings of Kuwait in indications of the World Bank and other international institutions, including indicators of business, national efficiency and productivity, governance, corruption and e-services.

Throughout this pillar, General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development aims to reform administrative practices, lessen bureaucracy and enhance transparency, regulatory accountability and effectiveness of government system. During a dialogue session last January, Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Mohammad AlJabri stressed that projects related to the cornerstone is a “wider and more comprehensive” structural scheme of the State of Kuwait since its independence. He said that the pillar also includes projects to carry out purchase and tenders electronically, in addition to a comprehensive reform of civil services through legislations on reforming payroll and appointing leaders.

Activating the pillar, the government sector will witness, in the upcoming period, several projects to raise Kuwait’s ratings in terms of using government communications and data from 64 to 67 percent internationally.

The Kuwaiti government is currently putting final touches of the Kuwait’s Fourth Structural Scheme, which materializes the vision of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of transforming Kuwait into a global commercial and financial hub based on the country’s strategic goal. It (the pillar) contains several programs, including government management, combating corruption, planning, making public policies, statistics and information, institutional governance and e-government, as well as structural reform. Mona Al-Daas, a senior official at Central Statistical Bureau, said that the statistics and information program is a data system supporting the five-year plans aiming to achieve the 2035 Vision.

She added that the Bureau reached an agreement with the Supreme Council to issue a total of 254 statistical indications in all human and economic development fields. Kuwait aims to activate statistics and information program through fulfilling modernizing the bureau schemes, providing information to all people and exchanging information between the Bureau and concerned bodies, including the private sector and civil society organizations.

The State of Kuwait is paying much attention to combat corruption across the country and improving transparency, fairness and accountability, which are a goal to achieve sustainable development. The government established Kuwait’s center for public policies, national observatory of sustainable development and future studies, and national center of knowledge economy in order to set public policies and raise efficiency of government system.

The program of institutional governance contributes to improving performance of foundations and economy in general to attract investments, support economic performance, and avoid crises.

As for the e-government program, it could be activated through drawing up plans for developing and speeding up e-services, and evolving national automated projects for government services towards the smart government. The State of Kuwait has also enacted some legislations to combat corruption, including the law on establishing the Public Anti- Corruption Authority (PACA), and setting out a coordinative mechanism for a continued follow-up between the government and other bodies.

Furthermore, the government is seeking to carry out several administrative training programs regarding development management. A decree was issued to amend the civil service system on mechanisms of appointment, assessment and promotion. The Vision is based on five aspired results and seven pillars, including developed infrastructure, healthcare, effective government management and others. These pillars has some specified programs and each one includes some strategic projects. — KUNA