Absenteeism at state institutions doubles corruption [Archives:2006/914/Business & Economy]

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January 23 2006

By: Mahyoub Al-Kamali
Absence of senior government officials particularly reduces administrative performance quality and encourages further expansion of already widespread corruption inside Yemeni government establishments. Many people complain that officials' absence from work affects public services productivity, especially economic institutions.

Oddly enough, some influential executive managers at government establishments consider public service as a gift granted them by the state because they are ruling party affiliates. Consequently, this attitude doubles corruption in those establishments, leading to impeded production and declining economic activities in the country.

Despite the Civil Service Ministry's effort to modernize administration and implement an administrative and financial reform program, official sources recently pointed out that 246 government officials in senior administrative posts inside the Capital Secretariat were absent after Eid Al-Adha holidays ended January 14. Sources in the Civil Service Ministry's Monitoring and Inspection Department noted that punitive measures will be taken against the absentees. They explained that three day's wages will be deducted from senior administrative officials' salaries for being absent January 15, the first work day after the Eid, and a two-day salary deduction from those absent the second work day, January 16.

As for other government institutions, the highest proportion of senior administrative official absence was at the Ministry of Expatriate Affairs, where 19 senior officials were absent the two days after Eid. In second place were officials at the General Authority for Martyrs Affairs, registering 16 senior officials absent, and in third place were 14 senior executive managers absent in the Ministry of Health and Population.

According to official statistics on the number of administrative leadership absentees in government institutions inside the Capital Secretariat January 15 and 16, the minimum percentage was recorded in four government institutions: the Heritage Fund, the Ministry of Electricity, the Capital Mayoralty and Al-Thawra Establishment for Press. They each averaged one absent senior official.

The absenteeism phenomenon of senior government officials usually is repeated on ordinary work days and national holidays. This type of negligence is widespread in some public services and productive authorities and consequently, hinders production, work activity development and export development. Some senior officials mistakenly deem their posts a gift offered them by the state in return for their partisan services. This wrong assumption impedes development, keeps Yemen backward and negatively affects the country's revenues and gross product.
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