Minister of Social Affairs to Al-Qabas: 159 reports and inquiries on domestic violence.. and 157 for child protection
Faisal Matar: Minister of Social Affairs, Family, and Childhood, Dr. Amthal Al-Huwail, confirmed that the ministry and its affiliated entities continued over the past three months to work on legislative, supervisory, and service files, as well as performance development and digital transformation, while monitoring the needs of eligible categories and enhancing communication with citizens.
Al-Huwail told Al-Qabas that these files included finalizing the draft law on persons with disabilities, the regulations governing kiosks in cooperative societies, and submitting a new draft law on cooperative societies. She added that the Supreme Council for Family Affairs completed a draft regulation on domestic violence and submitted a draft amendment to its establishment law. The legislative work also included completing the draft law on the World Islamic Charitable Organization.
The ministry issued decisions to dissolve 12 inactive and non-compliant public benefit associations, organized procedures for general assemblies and elections, and strengthened monitoring of compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing requirements.
Regarding supervision of cooperative societies, Al-Huwail emphasized the continued review of contracts for invested shops and bakeries to prevent sub-leasing, the introduction of new mechanisms for cleaning and security contracts, disbursements from the social services budget, and the reduction of subsidized prices. She noted the issuance of 22 judicial records, the dismissal of eight board members from Al-Firdaws Cooperative Society and two from Abdullah Al-Mubarak Cooperative Society, with referrals to the Public Prosecution, and the dissolution of the board of directors of Al-Zahraa Cooperative Society, while inspection teams continued their work.
The ministry offered 45 job opportunities for Kuwaitis across 15 associations via the "Fakhrana" platform. Kuwaitization of supply branches reached 45 associations over the past three months. Additionally, 77 financial monitors passed their appointment tests out of 140 applicants, and 173 administrative monitors passed out of 295 applicants.
On digital transformation and service development, Al-Huwail stated that the ministry completed the operation of the electronic archiving system and worked on developing systems for financial aid, family nurseries, and cooperative sector platforms. Work also included reviewing a proposal for a platform for suppliers and manufacturers, and an electronic ordering system that enables associations to serve consumers and deliver goods within their geographic scope. Coordination is underway regarding the electronic linkage with the central aid system to verify applicant data. The ministry highlighted the expansion of automated data exchange and linkage with 24 government entities to accelerate transaction processing and shorten document cycles. The Authority for Persons with Disabilities launched 10 new services via the "Sahl" platform, including medical committee appointments, certificate renewal, retirement, hearing aids, wheelchairs, and exemptions from fingerprinting and traffic regulations.
Regarding social services, Al-Huwail announced the launch of the "Tawa'uf" initiative to support, rehabilitate, and integrate drug addiction recovery patients into society. The ministry also implemented the national campaign "A Nation That Protects You" for drug prevention, organizing 39 workshops and 20 lectures at community development centers.
Concerning the General Authority for Persons with Disabilities, she confirmed the continued review of disability certificates, medical files, and care assignee files to verify eligibility, and the scrutiny of disbursement lists to prevent duplication or payments to suspended or deceased cases. The legal investigation committee continues to examine violations and contracts within the authority. Over the past three months, the authority processed 663 transactions for monthly allowances, 750 for attendant and driver allowances, 863 for care assignees, 860 for care assignee retirement, and 238 for disability retirement. Work also included installing surveillance cameras in care centers and beginning the construction of a sensory room at the new Kuwait International Airport building.
On the file of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, Al-Huwail explained the modification and reduction of its organizational structure and the transfer of several employees to the Ministry of Social Affairs, alongside training staff on mechanisms for receiving and professionally handling domestic violence reports. Protection centers handled 159 reports on domestic violence and 157 reports on child protection, along with six protection orders and 14 shelter cases. The counseling center received 700 calls, provided 512 consultations, and held 70 counseling sessions.
Regarding financial discipline, Al-Huwail confirmed continued audits of general aid cases and Article Eight cases, covering 31,648 cases, with disbursements in June reaching approximately 17.45 million dinars. The ministry recovered over 630,000 dinars from aid disbursed without justification over the past three months. Furthermore, the ministry completed the closing of the fiscal year ahead of schedule, and 32 out of 33 audit rulings were issued in its favor, achieving a success rate of 97%.
