An urgent proposal to find an immediate solution to the case of 683 ineligible individuals of the productive home programme, Khatwa, who have been removed from the Social Insurance Organisation (SIO) books, was unanimously approved by MPs yesterday.
The proposal by five MPs is led by Jalal Kadhem Al Mahfoodh.
Parliament Speaker Ahmed Al Musallam told MPs during the weekly session that he and his two deputies were leading negotiations with the Cabinet to help resolve the matter, after videos of the ordeal of the individuals were circulated on social media.
Parliament first deputy speaker Abdulnabi Salman said that the original number was 1,418 which dropped to 682 following a review.
“Some of them might have cheated their way to get pensions, but most did not,” he said.
“We are closely working with the government to help as many possible by getting them to buy periods to be eligible for proper pensions.
“It is a complicated situation created by circumstances and it is our job to provide solutions.”
The SIO earlier announced that 114 individuals who added previous service periods and complied with legal and regulatory requirements will continue to receive their pensions.
Meanwhile, 501 violators have rectified their situation by completing the legal settlement procedures after contacting SIO and, therefore, the disbursement of the retirement pension continued without interruption.
Mr Al Mahfoodh
Violators of Khatwa, whose retirement pensions have been suspended, were registered in the unemployment allowance programme, in line with the directives of the Cabinet.
The SIO said the 683 cases will be evaluated to confirm their eligibility to benefit from the system’s financial privileges and job vacancies.
The Cabinet said earlier this year that the Labour and Social Development Ministries have been tasked with working together to register Khatwa programme violators, whose retirement pension payments were halted, to receive unemployment benefits for job seekers.
Some officials at the Social Development Ministry were referred to the Public Prosecution for forging Khatwa eligibility papers.
“Registering violators as unemployed is not a solution,” said Mr Al Mahfoodh.
“It is a remedy, but proper solutions are needed,” he added.
Parliament’s foreign affairs, defence and national security committee vice-chairman Hassan Ibrahim backed the move saying the issue wasn’t the fault of the 683, but the Social Development Ministry which launched the programme in the first place without a proper structure.
Meanwhile, MPs unanimously approved an urgent proposal to cancel the BD500 penalty imposed three years for failing to renew a commercial registration (CR) for each missed year.
The proposal has been presented by the Strategic Thinking Bloc led by its spokesman Khalid Bu Onk.
“This is a burden that many businesses, especially small and medium, can’t bear,” he said.
“There are reasons for failing to renew CRs; it could be a struggling business or one trying to spin into profitability.”
Also unanimously approved was an urgent proposal by five MPs led by Dr Hisham Al Asheeri to install speed cameras near Diyar Al Muharraq and open new entrances and exits in the area.
All have been referred to the Cabinet for instant review.
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