WHAT future are we waiting for? – This is the question that every citizen must think about, especially those with responsibility, irrespective of their level, because the current situation makes people lose hope in their future, and drowns them in pessimism.

When the current Cabinet formation was announced, optimism rose to the highest levels. This constituted a bright spot in the midst of the Kuwaiti darkness caused by the previous governments, especially the last four of them.

However, this optimism began to dissipate bit by bit, especially when the ministers returned to their usual nature in the manner of dealing with the tasks they undertake.

Those who were in the field in their early days returned to closing the doors of their offices. The Minister of Public Works is not touring the country’s streets and facilities to see their poor condition. The State Minister for Municipal Affairs is not visiting some areas to see with his own eyes the filth that fills the streets. It seems as if we are a sleeping country and not a developing one. It seems as if this country is not one of the top ten wealthiest countries in the world.

In this regard, the Ministers of Health, Finance, Social Affairs and Commerce, and others followed. It is as if their appointment was an honorary one, and not a patriotic duty to serve the country and its people.

They and their boss - His Highness the Prime Minister - visited the sister country Qatar during the international sports festival that it is organizing. They saw what Qatar achieved in ten years even though its wealth is almost half of the wealth of Kuwait.

Here I am referring to its sovereign fund, which has a story of achievements that we cannot dream of. So why do we keep going around in a vicious circle? Isn’t one of the reasons for our suffering bureaucracy and outdated laws? In Kuwait, any project, regardless of its size, is faced with dozens of obstacles. If ministry approves, another refuses, while another waits for the visa of an MP or an influential person. The citizens have one constant question - What prevents us from keeping up with our counterparts in the GCC countries? Why can’t we be like Qatar? This small country, which captured the attention of the whole world and became a shining image of the tolerant Gulf society, today serves as an example of development and renaissance. In ten years, the entire infrastructure was rebuilt, cities and facilities were constructed, and the whole country was transformed into a major workshop.

A Qatari citizen has the highest per capita income in the world. In terms of the quality of education, his country is the first in the Arab world and the second in the world after Japan. In terms of combating corruption that is eroding Kuwait’s institutions,it is top in the Arab world and the sixth in the world, until it has become an inherent behavior in the majority of state institutions.

All this positive development was caused by a single, firm and clear decision maker. There is an accountability club to discipline those who try to disrupt their work, or dupe themselves to seize public money, which is almost like “Ali Baba’s Cave” in Kuwait, open to all.

Indeed, we can be like Qatar and other Gulf Arab countries or even better, if we are certain that the law aims to serve generations and facilitate the lives of citizens, and not to serve any parliamentarians. For this, we need a legal revolution.

This is the core of our problem that we are unfortunately trying to turn a blind eye to by entertaining arguments and opening fronts to win against each other.

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times