Saleh Al-Saqqaf: The Man for Tough Missions

Mr. Saleh Al-Sqaabi, who was recently appointed as Deputy Director of the Civil Service Bureau in succession to the former deputy, Mr. Al-Rabiean, is engaged in a major struggle.

The difficulty of the tasks assigned to him suggests that the official has no choice but to either retire or resign from the appointment, as there is no third option.

Mr. Al-Rabiean assumed his duties at a time that can be described as the most difficult and complex, given that the Bureau’s mandate is exclusively limited to appointing staff to government entities. Not all government entities are ministries, departments, or institutions; many are independent and isolated from the Civil Service Bureau’s responsibilities. This restriction of mandates and responsibilities has made the Bureau’s duties more difficult and complex, particularly for its leadership. The number of ministries with civil service mandates is limited, and their responsibilities are also minimal, consisting mainly of processing paperwork. The problem is not with the jobs or responsibilities themselves, but with the enormous number of employees who are required to report to these ministries full-time, while the actual workload is negligible. If work volume were measured by attendance, one would find no employee willing to take on such roles. These ministries are already saturated with staff, or what is known as “hidden unemployment.” In reality, despite the title being inappropriate for a government employee, the individual is supposed to hold a position and job title commensurate with a monthly salary and grade that suit the role. However, the job title contradicts the nature of the work. The vast army of employees assigned clerical tasks could be performed by any ordinary person who knows the alphabet or basic work procedures. When you approach an employee regarding a file you are holding, they simply say, “This is not my responsibility.” If you ask for the responsible official, they reply, “I don’t know; see the director or the deputy.”

I believe, and I say with all humility, that the Civil Service Bureau has become obsolete, as it has failed to fulfill its core function of providing jobs for the unemployed and filling vacancies in relevant ministries.

The Bureau’s name should be changed to reflect the current reality. In the past, it was mandatory to restrict government employment to Kuwaitis, yet one would often see expatriate employees occupying positions that should have been held by Kuwaitis, under flimsy and baseless pretexts.

Today, expatriate employees are rarely seen in government roles. When they do appear, it is usually in special cases, and sometimes, as I have repeated, they are hired covertly (“under the table”) through weak officials or cunning policies.

Employee salaries consume three-quarters of oil revenues, which are exported, while other revenue sources do not constitute a significant portion of total income. The Cabinet meets weekly, and at the end of each session, it issues a statement on the meeting’s outcomes. However, recent ministerial statements have focused on raising fees for citizens. It is conceivable that one day gasoline, gas, and diesel fuel will be distributed using ration cards.

Citizens are crowded in government ministries, while the commercial sector and contracting companies reap the largest share of national income. Meanwhile, our youth stand outside the Civil Service Bureau, hoping for divine mercy and for the Bureau to open its doors to employment.

I return to the Civil Service Bureau, a “dusty relic.” Those who transferred it here have since left the country. Therefore, Kuwaiti youth must reassess the old calculations, and the government must devise a new employment system, free from the Bureau’s convoluted complexities. Ultimately, Mr. Al-Sqaabi must find a solution for the unemployed standing at the Bureau’s entrance and for future cohorts. I believe these groups represent a heavy burden that requires the Bureau to innovate. Perhaps artificial intelligence could serve as one of the pillars of this innovation.

A Kuwaiti journalist