110 corruption reports trigger regulatory action at Ministry of Social Affairs

Ministry of Social Affairs through a newly formed team headed by Assistant Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Heba Al-Shammari is said to have received around 110 reports over the past nine months via email concerning suspected corruption within the ministry and its affiliated cooperative and public benefit societies.

Minister Al-Huwailah continues to personally follow up on the team’s findings and progress, underscoring her dedication to reform in accordance with the directives of the political leadership and the Council of Ministers, according to Al-Jarida daily.

Although many of the reports involved administrative issues rather than actual corruption, the team is said to have thoroughly reviewed each case and put in place mechanisms to resolve these issues and prevent recurrence.

This includes issuing new circulars and amending some regulatory frameworks. Key recommendations include revising the appendix to the organizational regulations for financial and administrative auditors in cooperatives, and ensuring compliance with Civil Service Council rules on official working hours for supervisory staff such as managers and auditors.

The team, which has convened more than 32 times, also emphasized strict confidentiality in handling reports to avoid harming individuals named in them. If any report is verified or shows signs of potential wrongdoing, the ministry is prepared to take immediate legal action.