RIYADH, 2 May 2003 — The restructuring and downsizing of the ministries is seen as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to promote administrative efficiency, rein in public expenditure, and cope with the challenges of the future, a cross-section of people in Riyadh told Arab News.
They said the merger of ministries and the Cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday were intended to make the government lean and efficient and described it as a good start in a process that should see changes at other levels to boost employee productivity and performance. They welcomed the creation of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, a step they said was long overdue in the interest of harnessing IT to the development of science and technology in the Kingdom. The ministry could promote IT not only through private sector participation but also in promoting e-governance.
Dr. Ihsan Bahulaiga, a member of the Shoura Council and Saudi economist, said an independent CIT ministry signaled a move toward the creation of jobs in the IT sector.
Speaking on behalf of the Institute of Public Administration, Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Otaibi, deputy director general of the IPA, told Arab News that Dr. Mohammed A. Al-Shaqawi, director-general of the institute and a team of 100 other experts from the IPA and other government organizations were closely involved in a four-year project to formulate the recommendations on which the restructuring of the Cabinet was based. He said the main thrust of the exercise was to rationalize government expenditure in order to address the problem of recurring budget deficits. Moreover, control of government spending is one of the requirements of the World Trade Organization, where the Kingdom’s membership application has been pending since 1993.
Referring to the merger of the Ministry of Industry and Electricity with two separate ministries, Dr. Al-Otaibi said it was a sensible move, since tagging on electricity to the Ministry of Water under Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi would bring about better coordination in an inter-related field. Similarly, the rationale behind merging industry with commerce under Dr. Hashim Yamani was meant to restore the situation that existed prior to 1975, when it used to be called the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Dr. Al-Otaibi said that since industry dealt with locally manufactured goods and commerce was concerned with imports, it made sense to bring them under the umbrella of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
Similarly, the additional responsibility of culture entrusted to the Ministry of Information, it is believed, will help it to redefine culture at a time when it is often negatively portrayed in the Western media. Moreover, cultural activities could get proper media attention locally when they are organized under the umbrella of the information ministry.
According to Iman Alkhatani, a Saudi journalist and writer, the merging of the media with the cultural sector could propel TV and radio into a new era and enhance their roles. Minister of Interior Prince Naif had come down heavily on them several times lately.
“We are waiting for the rest of the newly created ministries to be activated on the recommendations of a ministerial committee headed by Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation,” she added. The Saudi Press agency, TV and radio will become public enterprises.
Another important element of the restructuring program is the tagging on of the portfolio of national economy to the Ministry of Planning under Dr. Khaled Al-Gosaibi. The move is significant, since the planning ministry has to have a macro view of the national economy if it is to get its parameters right in terms of the formulation of five-year plans.
The Ministry of Planning, which had organized an international seminar on the development of a vision for the Saudi economy late last year, would be greatly helped in this task with the addition of the national economy portfolio. With the Ministry of Finance and National economy stripped of its economy portfolio, it will become more efficient in the discharge of its responsibilities, especially in reducing the mounting public debt and rein in government spending.
The Ministry of Education has shed its antiquities portfolio, which has been tagged on to the Supreme Commission for Tourism. Nasser Al Tayyar, chairman of the Al Tayyar Group, one of the biggest travel agencies in the Kingdom, said the attachment of antiquities and museums to the SCT would help to promote cultural tourism, since the SCT was developing a “Discover Saudi Arabia” program with an emphasis on cultural and eco-tourism.
