Restructuring of the Electricity Authority... on the path to implementation
The Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy has taken a new step toward restructuring the electricity and water sectors and converting them into public authorities and institutions, after receiving preliminary approval from the Civil Service Bureau for a draft law regulating the sector, along with a number of observations focused on the necessity of subjecting employees of the two proposed entities to the provisions of the Civil Service Law and regulations, and refraining from granting them independent functional and financial authorities.
In its response to the Ministry of Electricity, the Civil Service Bureau indicated that there were no objections to the Ministry’s proposal regarding the public service domain, except for a number of articles that grant the proposed public authority and institution independent functional and financial authorities.
The Bureau clarified that it sees the necessity of explicitly stipulating that employees of the proposed authority and institution are subject to the provisions of the Civil Service Law and regulations in all respects, which necessitates amending the draft law. It emphasized that the content of certain paragraphs in some articles, which authorize the two entities to establish functional systems and salary and benefits scales without adhering to the Civil Service Law, is unsuitable.
It added that “granting any additional financial benefits or rights must be consistent with the directives of the Civil Service Council aimed at harmonizing the status of government employees and the benefits prescribed for each job category, along with the associated amendments and re-evaluation of salary systems.”
Regarding the article that grants the authority’s board of directors the power to determine the chief executive officer’s allowances, the Bureau viewed that determining these allowances should fall under the purview of the Council of Ministers or the Civil Service Council, considering that the current wording is unsuitable.
