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The measure of success for strategic plans lies in active participation in the implementation process. Conversely, centralization signifies failure. In Kuwait, we have six governorates, each delineated by clear boundaries marked by signs in the streets (eg, welcome to Ahmadi governorate). However, these signs hold little significance as governors lack sufficient authority over their respective geographical areas. As a result, there is little to no competition between governorates for beauty, cleanliness and law enforcement.
In contrast, in other countries where governors govern their sectors, there is healthy competition among governorates to enhance aesthetics, cleanliness and law enforcement. Unfortunately, our six governorates lack such initiatives. Open areas, particularly sand yards near mosques and spaces left undeveloped by owners, often lack cleanliness due to the absence of ministerial contracts and insufficient resources for governors to intervene.
An illustrative example is a Kuwaiti cooperative society that volunteered to fill potholes in certain areas at the shareholders’ expense. However, the public works ministry issued a directive to leave the holes untouched until a tender is awarded, a process that has been pending for years. The late Amir had asked the minister of public works during the coronavirus pandemic to use the opportunity of people being at home to repair Kuwait’s streets, but time went by and nothing was done and the situation remained the same; rather it became worse.
Despite numerous discussions and writings on this issue, including analyses of various income sources, little progress has been made. The solution lies in activating participation in Kuwait’s vision and selecting capable individuals to manage governorates based on merit rather than nepotism. It’s imperative to empower the council of governorates, hold officials accountable through a system of rewards and penalties, and provide necessary resources.
This approach is not insurmountable, as neighboring countries have successfully implemented similar strategies. What Kuwait needs is decisive action, trust in its citizens and a departure from the current cycle of narrow appointments that have marred the country’s beauty.
