‘Disbursing front-liner reward to govt sector workers hangs in balance’
KUWAIT CITY, Sept 4: It seems that the path to disbursing frontliner rewards to those who deserve it in government agencies is still long. There are indications that the payment date was around the corner, especially for those whose lists were sent to the Ministry of Finance after being approved by the Civil Service Commission (CSC), reports Al-Rai daily.
A dilemma is looming on the horizon, represented by the lack of knowledge related to disbursement, and whether or not it is permissible to disburse the reward to the recipients who received overtime payment. This created confusion in terms of the mechanism.
The problem arose after financial observers stopped the disbursement procedures in a number of agencies, in compliance with the restrictions set by law No. 4/2021 that links the budget of ministries and government departments for the 2020/2021 fiscal year and according to CSC, which emphasized on the need for the supervisory body to adhere to the terms and conditions governing this issue.
This includes the inadmissibility of combining between the frontliner reward with any other bonuses disbursed during the mentioned period (from February 24,2020 to May 13, 2020) as compensation for the same actions stipulated in Cabinet’s resolution No. 686/2020.
According to informed sources, many employees who are eligible for the bonus in a number of agencies, especially the Ministry of Health, had received additional bonuses such as overtime during the same period.
Faced with this reality, some government agencies have addressed the CSC to clarify the confusion and resolve the issue. However, the sources indicated that CSC does not have a solution.
They indicated that the matter requires presenting the problem to the Fatwa and Legislation Department to decide whether employees who receive an overtime bonus are entitled to the frontliner reward.
The sources said, “The Ministry of Health is making unremitting efforts in this regard, after the reward reached its last stage in the Office of Financial Controllers. However, it did not decide on the disbursement, and requested clarifications from the concerned authorities.”
In what appears to be the only way out, the sources indicated that, “Overtime work for the frontliners, under its various names, falls within the framework of “paid for work”, and is not a reward that prevents the payment of the frontliner reward, which requires a decisive opinion from the Fatwa and Legislation Department.”
Meanwhile, Head of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students (NUKS) - British and United Kingdom branch Nasser Al-Ghanim has called for canceling the deduction of the monthly stipends for students who owe debts to the Kuwait Cultural Office for various reasons, stressing not to touch the monthly stipends for students, reports Aljarida daily.
In a letter he sent to the cultural attaché in the United Kingdom, Al-Ghanim explained that the monthly allowances for students represent their basic need as they depend entirely on it for managing their lives. Any deficiency in them causes anxiety in the student as he would not be able to meet his financial obligations.
These obligations include rent, food and personal expenses. Many students often find themselves in a state of great embarrassment as they are faced with the difficult choice of seeking support from their families or friends in the event of being short of money.
NUKS stressed the need to overcome the difficulties and obstacles that the students go through because of this procedure, and to work on alleviating this suffering by canceling the decision of monthly deduction from the allowances.
The colleges of Kuwait University have proposed the full return to the traditional method of study. They submitted a request to the university administration to start studies in the traditional form, instead of the “blended education” form that was previously approved by the university, starting from the first semester of the 2021/2022 academic year, reports Al-Qabas daily.
According to an official memorandum, the College of Administrative Sciences submitted a proposal to the acting President of the University Dr. Bader Al-Badawi for the return to the traditional method of study with full attendance in the various colleges of the university.
The proposal is on the agenda of the University Council’s meeting on Sunday to be discussed and voted on.
According to the information received, the proposal is almost accepted, especially with the expansion of the “return to life circle’’ in various fields, and the increase in the vaccination rate.