KUWAIT CITY, Jan 28: In a bid to enhance transparency, tighten financial control and combat all forms of corruption or negligence at work, Minister of Education Eng. Sayed Jalal Al-Tabtabaei issued a decision to form a fact-finding committee to investigate the non-implementation of thousands of administrative decisions with financial impact that have accumulated over the years, resulting in the discovery of debts estimated at KD12 million that were not collected for the State treasury. This is in response to the comments and information that Al-Tabtabaei repeatedly received about the accumulated debts on current and former employees in the Ministry of Education, which is considered wastage of public money . He immediately instructed the inspection and audit team in his office to verify this information and submit a comprehensive report in this regard.

 Field visits and audits conducted by the inspection team in cooperation with the director of the Financial Department and his team resulted in the discovery of serious violations, including more than 100,000 unimplemented administrative decisions (from previous years), resulting in huge financial obligations that were not collected for the ministry’s treasury and financial dues for employees at the ministry -- a blatant violation of governmental rules and regulations. According to the ministerial decision issued by Al-Tabtabaei, the fact-finding committee will carry out multiple tasks . Al-Tabtabaei confirmed that the ministry is reforming the administrative and financial systems and enhancing the efficiency of internal operations in a way that serves the interests of the State and guarantees justice among employees. He said the ministry will continue to monitor performance, and take stringent decisions to ensure everyone’s commitment to the required professional and ethical standards. The minister also affirmed his full commitment to protecting public money, stressing that the above-mentioned amount requires legal accountability and the necessary measures must be taken to recover the money in accordance with the approved legal and administrative frameworks .

 He stressed importance of improving the management of financial resources to prevent the recurrence of such violations. He added that commitment to the principle of accountability and the protection of public money constitutes a fundamental pillar for consolidating citizens’ confidence in the ministry. He pointed out that protecting public money is not just a legal obligation, as it is rather a national trust and a moral and societal responsibility that requires hard work to guarantee integrity and transparency, and that the rights of employees and their financial dues are an administrative obligation which cannot be compromised. He stressed that strict financial oversight of all transactions in the ministry is a national responsibility; and that implementing financial systems and regulations is not an option, but a permanent commitment and priority that must be adhered to without exception. He indicated that the ministry will take legal action against any employee proven to have been negligent or involved in administrative violations, including referring the file to the Public Prosecution if necessary. He said such practices are a violation of the standards of integrity and financial and administrative discipline.

By Abdulrahman Al-Shammari
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff