MoC relocating from Shuwaikh office to communication tower

According to sources from the communication sector, the Ministry of Communications has begun moving to the communications tower in order to hand over its main building in Shuwaikh to the General Administration of Customs, reports Aljarida daily.

They explained that, “Only the offices of the minister and the undersecretary have been relocated. There is no coordination or a clear plan that determines the mechanism for the final relocation of all sectors and the approximately 4,000 employees working in the current buildings.

“The mechanism of shifting the current sectors to the alternative sites is still unknown due to the absence of a welldefined plan and a time schedule.

“The assistant undersecretaries were surprised, like other employees, by the decision to relocate.

“There is the need to provide a suitable alternative location for accommodating all employees of the ministry’s various sectors before making the decision to move in its current form, which portends unprecedented administrative chaos.

“Most of the leaders expressed their dissatisfaction with the failure to hold an extended meeting with the undersecretary to determine the features and objectives of the transition process from the current location, especially since the ministry is currently preparing the annual performance appraisals, and completing the final account of the ministry.”

The sources said they were baffled by how such an important decision was taken before setting a time plan that includes the mechanism for relocating the huge database and the technical devices that filled the corridors of the ministry for many years, especially since the ministry relies heavily and primarily on electronics in all of its correspondence with the regulatory authorities, ministries and state institutions.

They stressed that relocating to the communications tower as an alternative will not succeed, especially since the parking spaces designated for employees in the basement can accommodate only about 230 cars, while 650 permits have been issued for employees currently with a working rate of 60 percent. This confirms that more than 400 employees will not find a parking spot at the site.

The sources also highlighted the problem of overcrowding and lack of internal and external parking, especially with the return of normal life and employee attendance rate of 100 percent.