The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Saad Al-Barrak, has issued Ministerial Decision No. 9 for the year 2023 to establish a Grievances and Complaints Committee to address grievances and complaints from employees of the Ministry of Oil, the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, its subsidiaries, and any affiliated entities in his capacity as Minister of Oil.
The committee, chaired by Dr. Ahmed Khalifa Al-Shatti and with Dhari Adnan Al-Salama as vice-chairman (a member of Fatwa and Legislation), with Jamal Ali Al-Ajmi (senior specialist at the Kuwait Oil Company) as member and Jihan Ahmed Abu Zina (head of the Ceremonial Department – Ministry of Finance) as Rapporteur.
The decision delineates the committee’s terms of reference and powers, which encompass:
— Examining all specified grievances and complaints mentioned in Article One of this decision, except for those requiring a special decision from the Minister.
— Addressing any other work or tasks referred to or entrusted by the Minister.
— All necessary powers to conduct examinations, including listening to the grievances/complaints filers, requesting and receiving relevant documents, and inviting employees from the Ministry, KPC, and affiliated companies to attend sessions and provide statements. The committee may also seek assistance from appropriate experts and specialists, although they won’t partake in voting on committee decisions during sessions.
— The committee may render a direct decision on a grievance or complaint if the submitted documents are sufficient for a decision.
The committee is obligated to submit a written report to the Minister detailing the results of its work of each grievance/complaint, along with appropriate recommendations.
Once the Minister approves the committee’s report, the grievance/complaint is referred to the respective authority (Ministry of Oil, KPC, or any other affiliated entity as applicable). If the grievance/complaint pertains to the KPC or one of its subsidiaries, the committee’s report is directed to the KPC’s Board of Directors for further consideration.