45 inspection squads formed to oversee Kuwait’s cooperatives

• The Ministry of Social Affairs stated that if inspection teams confirm any violations or misuse of authority by cooperative boards, decisive action will be taken to protect shareholders and the cooperatives.

The Ministry of Social Affairs, through its Cooperative Sector, has formed around forty five inspection teams since the start of the year to review the operations and accounts of cooperative societies, reported Arabic daily Al Jarida. These teams, comprising specialists and ministry officials, aim to assess compliance with Law No. 118/2013 and related ministerial regulations governing cooperative work.

According to ministry sources, the inspections cover about 60 percent of the cooperatives in Kuwait. The move reflects longstanding issues within the sector, stemming from a lack of effective deterrents against violations. The ministry aims to ensure cooperatives fulfill their core mission—providing quality goods at fair prices to ease the financial burden on consumers.

Sources stressed that if any of the inspection teams confirm suspicions of transgressions, violations, or deliberate misuse of authority by the boards of directors of cooperative societies—especially those that could threaten or squander shareholders’ funds or harm the cooperative—decisive action will be taken. In such cases, investigation and review committees will be formed immediately to protect this vital multi-billion-dinar sector, considered a key pillar of the country’s food security.

They noted that the work of these teams will run in parallel with investigation committees already formed by the Ministry to look into certain cooperatives based on reports from appointed financial and administrative auditors, or in response to complaints submitted by shareholders alleging financial or administrative misconduct by board members.

General assemblies

Additionally, sources said the ministry’s Department of Membership Affairs and Publicity of Cooperative Societies and Unions has scheduled general assemblies for approximately 21 cooperatives over the current and following two months. These include meetings set for April 14 and May 7. Among the cooperatives that have submitted their budgets and will hold general assemblies this month are Kaifan, Adailiya, Mishref, Shamiya, Fahaheel, and Animal Resources. Dates for the remaining assemblies will be announced in due course.

Board appointments

The sources added, “Regarding boards of directors whose members’ legal terms have expired and are preparing to hold elections, the board of the Abdullah Al Mubarak Cooperative Society will see four out of nine members step down on May 3.” The sources noted that the ministry may appoint new members to the board; however, if this does not occur, the cooperative will continue to function, as the remaining five members constitute a legal quorum.

35,833 assistance requests in four months

The automated central assistance system recently launched by the Ministry of Social Affairs has received approximately 35,833 requests since its rollout on January 5. These included requests for rent payments, student assistance, medical treatment, debt settlement, and other forms of support.

The sources said these applications were submitted by 26,036 individuals. The relevant charitable organizations have been carefully reviewing and processing them, providing appropriate assistance where needed.

They added that the ministry, through the Charitable Societies and Endowments Department and in coordination with charitable organizations, is prioritizing requests related to healthcare, education, and debt repayment—especially those deemed urgent or unmet.

The sources emphasized the ministry’s commitment to expediting these cases by monitoring system responses and identifying charities that have not acted on requests. “They will be notified regularly to respond, or necessary measures will be taken against them,” she said.