"Affairs": Return of hotel and chalet offers to cooperative society shareholders under a new system
Faisal Matar The Ministry of Social Affairs, represented by its Financial and Administrative Affairs Sector and Cooperation Affairs, has permitted cooperative societies to announce special offers and discounts provided by a number of hotels, parks, and chalets to all their shareholders without exception, through a new mechanism that ensures equal opportunity for benefit and prevents societies from intervening in selecting beneficiaries or processing bookings.
A senior source in the Ministry told Al-Qabas that the new mechanism involves the society receiving offers from entities wishing to provide discounts or special benefits to their shareholders. The society’s role is limited to announcing these offers via its digital platforms and conveying them to shareholders, without being a party to providing the service or determining who benefits from it.
The source clarified that communication and booking will be conducted directly between the shareholder and the hotel, park, or chalet offering the deal. Each shareholder can avail themselves of the offer according to the terms announced by the service provider, without needing to refer to the society or obtain its approval.
He emphasized that the society is not permitted to collect any financial amounts from shareholders in exchange for benefiting from the offer, nor is it allowed to receive any financial compensation or commission from the entity providing the offer. This ensures a complete separation between the society and any financial transactions related to these services.
Direct Communication
The source added that the regulations stipulate that the contact information included in advertisements must belong exclusively to the entity providing the offer, whether it is a hotel, park, or chalet. It is not permissible to list phone numbers belonging to the society, its employees, or its board members for communication regarding bookings or benefits.
He explained that this mechanism prevents any interference in directing bookings or granting preference to certain shareholders over others. The offer becomes available to all society shareholders, with the relationship from the initial contact until the completion of the booking remaining direct between the shareholder and the service provider.
He noted that the new format allows for utilizing certain social service-related benefits in a manner different from the previous system. The society does not bear the costs of these offers, nor does it distribute them among a specific number of shareholders. Instead, it announces them to everyone on an equal footing.
Continuous Supervision
The source confirmed that supervisors from the Ministry of Social Affairs are monitoring the implementation of the new regulations and how societies handle these offers, to ensure that board members or staff do not interfere in determining beneficiaries, and to detect any violations of the decisions governing social service terms.
He pointed out that the Ministry is keen to prevent the new mechanism from becoming a means to circumvent its previous decision regarding benefits provided under the old system, which had raised concerns about specific groups of shareholders benefiting disproportionately, a lack of fairness in providing certain services, and the expenditure of millions of dinars from cooperative societies’ funds on certain social service items.
He stressed that the fundamental basis for permitting these offers is to achieve complete fairness among shareholders. The society’s role is limited to advertising, while the service remains available to all without interference, mediation, or financial benefit to the society or its board, under the supervision and monitoring of the Ministry of Social Affairs.
