THE Cabinet made a commendable decision by approving evening shifts, which should have been implemented in all ministries long ago. This practice is standard in many countries that are eager to finish projects on time, including some Gulf nations.
The new shifts should apply not only to employees but also to ministers, undersecretaries, and other executive officials who need to serve as role models for their subordinates.
This is because there have been many problems with ministerial positions, especially when some lawmakers have caused ministers to resign just a month or two after their appointment. In some cases, ministers have been appointed by decree in the evening and dismissed the very next morning.
On the other hand, there are governments in countries that respect the law and their citizens, where ministers work until midnight, especially some sensitive ministries that require continuous oversight. The six hours set for official working hours are often insufficient to accomplish the necessary tasks.
Unfortunately, it has been a common practice in Kuwait for connected employees to sign in and then go home to sleep, often due to the backing of certain lawmakers. This pattern has been in place for about 50 years, driven by electoral opportunism that has undermined institutions.
Years ago, some studies revealed that employee productivity does not exceed 25 minutes per day. We must acknowledge that five decades of mismanagement in Kuwait have led to a decline in productivity across all public sector institutions. Consequently, the saying “Kuwaitis do not work” has become widespread.
There is no doubt that this has contributed to the decline of all sectors, negatively impacting the country’s economic and social situations and allowing the deep state and influential figures to infiltrate institutional frameworks.
This complacency stems from a misunderstanding of the parliamentary mission. Rather than exercising honest oversight over the work of ministries, it has often been exploited to further personal interests, which is a trend observed in all parliaments except the first three.
Moreover, some extremist MPs have pressured ministers to freeze decisions that were in line with the public’s wishes and to implement others that contradict the society’s customs, traditions, and culture. This has contributed to the unfortunate situation the state has faced in recent years.
Furthermore, due to the numerous interventions by MPs and the committees they impose, ministers have been preoccupied with these challenges for decades. As a result, every minute of work is crucial today, especially after years of inefficiency, particularly in completing the projects the nation needs.
In this sense, all legislation must be aimed at benefiting Kuwaitis, helping them escape the situation they found themselves in, making up for what we missed, and fixing the damage caused by the previous phase.
The Council of Ministers has the chance to work and breathe with all of its energy today. It has to do twice as much work as it has no more excuses. It now has both executive and legislative authority, and it has a number of tasks to complete.
Therefore, there is widespread approval for the decision to implement evening work hours.
