Cash handouts, pay hikes will not bring ‘satisfaction’
the proposal to purchase ‘earned annual leave’ emerged from a standpoint that exuded arrogance. it presumed that money was abundant, and people deserved it, all the while aiming to buy public loyalty and convince citizens that the government genuinely cared for their welfare.
while there is no disagreement on the principle that citizens deserve to enjoy the country’s prosperity, it’s evident that true enjoyment doesn’t come solely from cash amounts or quick salary increases that slip away through their fingers.
rather, genuine enjoyment is derived from an improved standard of living: better infrastructure, well-maintained roads, the creation of parks, access to quality education, modern hospitals, advanced healthcare, a secure social safety net, dignified retirement options, nursing homes for the elderly, vibrant cultural institutions, and active community engagement. frivolous cash payments, as proposed, are prone to wastefulness.
the law promoting cash payments for vacations was presented as beneficial for citizens, and its cost was reduced to facilitate its passage. however, in response to a parliamentary question, it was revealed that the actual expense for purchasing employee vacations amounted to one billion dinars – more than three times the estimated cost.
the undersecretary of the ministry of finance justified this increase, claiming it was due to pressure from representatives – an unacceptable excuse in the eyes of active mps abdel wahhab al-essa and al-asfoor.
further investigation uncovered another scandal – the 300 million dinars allocated for buying vacations were arbitrarily set, not grounded in reality, revealing a clear government miscalculation.
additionally, the unexpected surge in demand for the sale of licenses from government employees caught the ministry of finance off-guard, leading to a submission to the fait accompli, with the requested amounts being disregarded.
the billion dinars spent on purchasing employee loyalty or vacations largely went to waste, as very few employees invested or saved it for the future. instead, the money could have been strategically utilized to improve everyone’s lives at a much lower cost, if managed with foresight and ingenuity.
the laxity and lack of responsibility in exceeding allocated amounts and obtaining supplementary credits indicate a disregard for laws, constitutional texts, customs, and accounting principles within the state. these actions suggest that our conditions have not been, and will not be, conducive to progress unless there is a fundamental change in approach and governance.
