the budget of the ministry of public works is approximately one billion dinars, and approximately 15,000 employees work in the ministry, earning 300 million dinars annually, meaning an average of 20,000 thousand dinars annually per employee.
for almost fi ve years, and for reasons that these employees have nothing to do with, the ministry has not i m p l e m e n t e d any vital project or even road repair, and the reason was gross negligence on the part of all the ministers who ran the ministry, with rare exceptions.
the appointment of mrs. noura almashaan as minister of works came in the worst circumstances. there was no budget, no projects, ruined roads, administrative corruption, job inflation, and a lack of competence at the head of the executive apparatus. despite this, she succeeded, and this was a surprise to me personally, in producing anything, that no one was able to and a lot of it is expected, due to the number of obstacles the ministry faces.
i learned from my sources that, during the past three months, it has developed quick and urgent solutions to improve the condition of the roads, and this is what i felt personally, through some of the streets that i frequent daily.
it also succeeded, in cooperation with local contracting companies, in filling and repairing approximately 14,000 potholes, and there are still many more, especially on the fahaheel road. this shows the magnitude of the tragedy that we were and are still living through, and it is enough for her to be proud that she accomplished, in three months, what those who were in the ministry before her “failed” to accomplish... for years.
it also activated the guarantee clause on road projects that companies had previously implemented, which is a clause that its predecessors had not tried to implement, to the best of their souls or minds.
it also reached understandings with local companies, with experience in repairing roads, to take care of the extensive damage and provide urgent and temporary solutions, until the necessary tenders are issued.
during the same period, the ministry also succeeded in partially opening two new bridges serving entry to the avenues mall, opposite al-ghazali, and another on al-ghous street between the al-raqqa and jaber al-ahmad areas.
the sewage crisis in the residential city of sabah al-ahmad was ended, with the opening of the umm alhayman wastewater treatment plant and the sabah al-ahmad residential pumping station.
works also resumed at the darwazat al-abdul razzaq intersection, with donations from charitable organizations. the ministry also concluded the signing of a contract to develop the infrastructure of the cordoba region to replace the sewage and rainwater network and radically repair roads and something similar to the yarmouk area
the ministry also succeeded in obtaining fi nancial appropriations for 18 major maintenance exercises for all highways and governorates, and is still awaiting approval for the tender from the central tenders agency.
it also succeeded in activating the preparation plan to confront the rainy season, and the ministry officially received thousands of reports from citizens, which were dealt with directly, and other actions and achievements.
noura al-mashaan faces a great challenge, and she is often able to accomplish what others have failed to. it is also proceeding with its work according to a clear plan, and is only hampered by the lack of financial allocations and the cessation of the work of the central tenders committee.
we sincerely hope that she and the minister of commerce, abdullah hamad al-jouan, will return to the new ministerial formation, to complete the real reforms they have begun. there is nothing worse than not entrusting the good, only to have someone come after them to cancel their work, to start again, if they work at all.