KUWAIT CITY, April 15: A clear absence of clients, quiet corridors of ministries, and offices that are almost empty of employees – this is the general scene in the ministries complex during the working hours in the month of Ramadan so far. Calm prevailed in many offices in light of the commitment of some government agencies to the number of employees not exceeding 30 percent, reports Al-Qabas daily. During the tour in the corridors of government agencies, it was noticed that the employees were congratulating one another and wishing well to each other in this month of Ramadan.

The discussions that trended among the employees were mainly concerning the partial curfew and their inability to meet their daily needs due to the lack of time, as well as concerning politics and social affairs. A striking aspect that was noticed was the decrease in the number of employees due to the commitment of government agencies to operate on a 30-percent workforce capacity in all its departments, and reduced working hours to about four and a half hours. It was also noted that the employees adhere to the Cabinet’s instructions regarding health and preventive requirements at workplaces based on the instructions of the health authorities. A number of clients affirmed to the daily that they did not face any difficulties in completing their transactions, that there were sufficient parking spaces for their cars, and they did not experience any congestion like in the past.

They explained that they did not come across any obstacles in completing their transactions despite the decrease in the number of employees in compliance with the decision of the Council of Ministers. Some government agencies have automated their services, which enabled many of them to complete their transactions online. This turned out to be one of the advantages of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it pushed the authorities to adopt e-services. Director General of the Directorate General for Civil Aviation Eng. Yousef Al-Fawzan issued a circular regarding working hours during the month of Ramadan. In the circular, he declared that work in DGCA will start from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and called for the observance of health and preventive requirements.

Meanwhile, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works and the Public Authority for Roads and Land Transport, Engineer Abdullah Al-Ajmi announced the ministry invites applications for vacant supervisory positions. The ministry is looking for Department Head, Observer and Director of Department at the Ministry of Public Works. The door for receiving applications opens on Sunday, April 18, 2021.