Transparency In Managing Public Funds Falls 35% Short Of Target

Kuwait’s strategy to enhance integrity and combat corruption faces a number of challenges, most notably the delay in approving laws by the National Assembly, the lack of coordination between the concerned authorities, in addition to the delay and in some cases the failure to receive progress reports from the government institutions, says the Public Anti-Corruption Authority ‘Nazaha’.

In its report, Nazaha said there is need to develop the follow-up mechanism with the National Assembly to approve relevant laws, such as the law on the prohibition of conflict of interests and other laws, explaining that they are entitlements that must be implemented under the United Nations Convention, reports Al-Rai daily.

Nazaha stressed the need for an automated system to follow-up and intensify communication by the technical committees with the government institutions to ensure reports and documents are submitted on time by the technical committees on a regular basis.

With regard to government institutions, the Nazaha report listed five priorities to protecting the integrity of the public sector and developing the effectiveness and efficiency of the public services it provides within a framework of transparency and accountability.

Nazaha stated with regard to the priority of transparency in managing funds and public affairs, the percentage of achievement as of September 2021 was about 35%, compared to 69% that was targeted, with a gap between the investigator and the target of about 35%.

As for appointment and promotion in the public sector, the target achievement reached 72 percent, as in last September, it reached 63 percent, with a gap between them amounting to -9 percent, while the achievement in this item has increased by about 63 percent since December 2020.

With regard to integrity in the performance of the public office, the percentage of achievement was 37 as in September 2021, compared to a target of 41%, with a gap between the investigator and the target of -4%, while the investigator has increased since December of last year by 23%.

As for the accountability item in the public sector, “Nazaha” clarified that the target achievement as of last September was about 48 percent, of which 22 percent were achieved, meaning that the gap between the achiever and the target amounted to -26 percent, while the achievement in this aspect increased by 3 only percent since December 2020.

In the effectiveness and efficiency of providing public services, the achievement rate was only 2% as in September 2021, compared to the target percentage of 61 percent, as the gap between the achieved and the target reached about -60 percent, while no significant progress was made in this aspect. Since December of last year, the achievement rate has reached “zero”.

As for the encouraging the private sector to contribute to enhancing integrity and combating corruption, “Nazaha” clarified that this axis consists of two priorities, the first includes integrity and accountability in the private sector, where the target achievement rate in this aspect was 78 percent as in September 2021, but what was achieved did not exceed 54 percent, meaning that the gap between the achievement and the target amounted to -24 percent, while the achievement in the same item since December 2020 has increased by 15 percent.

As for the second priority, it relates to the role of the private sector in detecting corruption, as the target achievement rate in it, as in September 2021, was about 69 percent, of which only 23 percent was achieved, with a gap between the investigator and the target of -46 percent, while the achievement increased in this regard.

The most prominent challenges facing Kuwait’s strategy to enhance integrity are:

1 – The delay in passing laws in the National Assembly

2- Lack of coordination between the authorities in the integrative initiatives

3 – Delays and sometimes non-receipt of complete reports from the concerned agencies

 

SOURCE  :   TIMES KUWAIT

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