13 conditions for selecting appointed members and interim directors in the cooperatives
Social, Family, and Childhood Affairs Minister Dr. Amthal Al-Hawaili has established a new regulatory framework for the selection, appointment, and performance monitoring of appointed members, interim directors, and interim boards of directors in cooperative societies and unions. This was done pursuant to Ministerial Decision No. 314 of 2026, published in “Al-Kuwait Al-Yawm,” to enhance standards of efficiency, transparency, and oversight over the operations of cooperative entities subject to appointment.
The decision stipulates the establishment of a permanent committee to review candidates eligible for appointment, chaired by the Undersecretary for Financial and Administrative Affairs and Cooperatives, with nine members. The committee is tasked with preparing and periodically updating an electronic database of candidates, reviewing their curricula vitae and supporting documents, verifying their compliance with legal and administrative requirements, ranking them according to selection criteria, and submitting an updated list of eligible candidates every three months.
The decision sets 13 requirements for candidates, including Kuwaiti nationality, a minimum age of 30, possession of a university degree and relevant experience, and no prior dismissal from a cooperative board of directors or membership on a board dissolved due to serious violations. Candidates must also pass the approved training program and examination with a score of at least 80 percent. Inclusion in the database does not confer a vested right to appointment.
The decision also approves a comprehensive system for monitoring the performance of appointees, including adherence to anti-corruption rules, disclosure of financial interests, and prevention of conflicts of interest; safeguarding the assets and property of the society or union; preparing a work plan within 30 days of assuming duties; and submitting periodic reports every three months, along with a final report upon completion of the term. The decision allows for the termination of an appointment before the end of its term in several cases, most notably the loss of appointment conditions, breach of duties, exceeding the scope of authority, fundamental performance deficiencies, or when the public interest so requires.
It clarifies the obligation of appointees to submit financial interest declarations and all other required declarations and disclosures within the prescribed timeframes and in accordance with legally established procedures, as well as to disclose any existing or arising conflicts of interest during the appointment period.
The decision further emphasizes that, upon completion of their term, interim directors or interim boards of directors must submit a final report to the competent authority detailing the financial and administrative status of the society or union, the work accomplished, the violations and observations addressed, and any work left incomplete.
