Prime Minister calls for serious steps to combat corruption
• Regulatory agencies vow action after meeting with Prime Minister
• Recognised need for regular reports on oversight challenges and public updates on efforts made
His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah has stressed the need for government regulatory agencies to take serious steps to implement the directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to protect public money, combat corruption, and uphold the rule of law and the institutional state.
The Prime Minister made the remarks during a meeting on Monday with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Chairman of the Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) Shrida Al-Muosherji, along with the Chairman of the State Audit Bureau, the Chairman of the Fatwa and Legislation Department, the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, and the Deputy Chairman of the Government Performance Follow-up Agency and Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance.
The Prime Minister stressed the importance of the role of these agencies in combating financial and administrative corruption and protecting public funds within the framework of the laws governing their work. He also pointed to the need to review the legislation governing regulatory agencies and their work mechanisms, in a way that is consistent with the requirements of their tasks and keeps pace with the facilitation of development projects.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of these agencies submitting periodic reports that clarify the obstacles that hinder them from carrying out their role, as well as recommendations and proposals in this regard. He also directed the need to involve the public in knowing the efforts they are making to fulfill their responsibilities to preserve public money, considering the citizen a main partner in this country, through the media and issuing special reports for the citizen in this regard.
His Highness the Prime Minister also pointed to the need for regulatory agencies to hold periodic meetings to identify the most frequent observations and ways to address them, and to exchange views, proposals, and the necessary requirements in this regard. He indicated that this requires the consolidation of all efforts, the cooperation of all agencies, and the activation of optimal coordination between them.
For their part, the heads of the regulatory agencies expressed their thanks and appreciation for the Prime Minister’s invitation, and for the observations and proposals he made to strengthen the mechanisms of combating corruption and coordination between the agencies. They affirmed that they are placing the high directives related to protecting public funds and applying the law at the forefront of their concerns.
