To a permanent meeting... (Zakat House)

I received a call informing me of the Cabinet's decision to dissolve a number of government bodies' councils, including the Zakat House. Of course, we all read the state's approach in this regard in the newspapers, so it was nothing new, and for me the situation has not changed a lot. My relationship with this outstanding institution extends for more than 15 years as Zakat House is the executive entity of all projects of my father's (may Allah have mercy on him) endowment inside and outside Kuwait. Four administrative eras were followed during that period, starting from the era of the brother/Abdul Qadir Al-Ajeel and his team, to the era of the dear/Ibrahim Al-Saleh, followed by the era of the good man/Muhammad Al-Otaibi, and finally the era of the brother and my friend/Dr. Majid Al-Azmi. During those years, I got to know the finest men in Kuwait, the kindest and cleanest of hands and beds. Through that long relationship, and out of my banking experience, I had a vision of strengths and weaknesses, and I had wished that Zakat House would not be affected by the cracks and aging of many state bodies. Hence, my diagnosis of the status of Zakat House came as I expected when I was assigned to its board of directors. With time and the change of administrations and their succession, we find a crowding of regulations and an accumulation of administrative procedures, which in turn leads the employee into vicious circles, wastes his effort and may lead to a degree of frustration. Therefore, I was keen not to participate in any of the board’s committees, and I was satisfied with acting on behalf of the Minister in case he was unable to attend the Board of Directors’ meetings. I presented a project in the Board’s second meeting that sponsors the application of the principles of governance and risk management in a highly professional manner and in line with international standards. A promising project that restores the Zakat House's vitality and makes it more competitive and productive, requires effort and the support of specialized consulting offices. It also requires technical training for the institution's cadres as well as the application of the principles of mechanization in an integrated manner to be in line with the project's outputs. For me, such a project was easy to implement because I implemented it more than once and in more than one institution, but the challenge was to implement this project in a governmental institution in record time, so I asked the Council at that time to form a committee to implement this project under my leadership and membership of the Director General and a group of directors of sections, whom I had chosen very carefully. This group ensures the implantation of a culture of governance and risk management in all sections and departments of Zakat House, and through them we can train as much as possible. To be short, the board agreed and strongly supported the project, and at that time, a committee was formed. To shorten the time and with personal effort, I assigned two audit offices of the first class and those who had previously worked with government institutions, who prepared two separate studies showing the areas of deficiencies and how to correct them. That work was done free of charge, as our Egyptian brothers say, "Gada’na or my treat". They know that the competition mechanism for the project will take place according to the rules and regulations in place, but because of my relationship with them and their love for that institution, they did a lot and a lot, and they have all my thanks and appreciation. After that, I prepared the scope of work and presented it to the committee in its integrated form, whereas my role was advisory and educational rather than membership of a board and chairing a committee, to the point where I refused to sit at the head of the table, and I insisted that the General Manager be on this site because I was convinced that this project would not be completed unless there was a conviction completed by the executive body, otherwise it would stumble at the first obstacle. I completed the project by linking the Zakat House to a training program with one of the leading Islamic banks voluntarily, so that the members of the committee undergo courses inside the bank to learn about the foundations of governance and risk management, and the Zakat House employees have periodic lectures to instill a project culture within the organization. I think that I have succeeded in planting seedlings to develop the work in the institution and "shape it". The most beautiful thing was collaborating with a proud Kuwaiti cadre, so thank you to my brothers and sisters, members of the committee. Now, I can tell you that this project has become your responsibility, and I am confident of your success. I do not say goodbye to Zakat House, but to a permanent meeting on the paths of good that do not stop!

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Before I conclude, I wish His Excellency the Minister of Finance to reconsider the budget of Zakat House, as trimming the budget in this way will undoubtedly lead to an exacerbation of administrative problems, which will hinder the performance of this pioneering institution more than it is.

Stay Safe.