Retirement requests flood Ministry of Social Affairs post-pension increase

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Ministry enhances visitor reception process

The Administrative Affairs Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs has received approximately 600 retirement applications since adopting the new law increasing the minimum pension in November. Most of these applications have come from female employees working in the Departments of Community Development and Family Welfare, aiming to benefit from the financial perks of the new law, as reported by the Al-Jarida newspaper.

Upon receiving these applications, the relevant administration initiates the required procedures and forwards them to the Civil Service Commission for completion. The surge in retirement requests has raised concerns about potential operational impacts on various ministry departments. The number of applications is expected to increase as employees rush to capitalize on the new law’s benefits before any possible amendments.

In a related development, following the resignation of the Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Abdulaziz Sari, Minister of Social Affairs, Family and Childhood Affairs, and State Minister for Youth Affairs, Dr. Amthal Al-Huwaila, has appointed Dr. Khaled Al-Ajmi, the Assistant Undersecretary for Social Development Sector Affairs, to take on the additional responsibilities of the Undersecretary of the Ministry. This appointment was formalized through a ministerial decision issued yesterday.

Dr. Jassim Al-Kandari, Director of the Juvenile Welfare Department, has also been assigned the Assistant Undersecretary for Social Welfare Sector Affairs tasks. At the same time, Miqdad bin Nakhi has been appointed Director of the Administrative Development Department, both retaining their original roles.

Minister Al-Huwaila has also addressed the issue of overcrowding during citizen visits by implementing a prior appointment system through the unified government application “Sahel.” This system, introduced last week, allows citizens to schedule appointments in advance to meet with the Minister, thereby reducing wait times and congestion.

Yesterday, the vicinity of the Minister’s office at the Ministries Complex saw a manageable number of visitors, with approximately 40 individuals compared to over 70 the previous week. A small office has been set up outside the Minister’s meeting room to register the names of citizens wishing to meet with her, ensuring an orderly process.

These developments highlight the Ministry of Social Affairs’ ongoing efforts to streamline operations and improve service delivery amid significant internal changes and increased demand for retirement processing.

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