Judging from the prevailing investment atmosphere, it seems we are facing a serious problem in the relationship between the state and investors. It seems to be on a course in which the government favors the private sector, leaving the citizen who uses and benefits from the public sector to suffer. We also seem to have a problem understanding how to encourage investment.
Private hospitals have complained that government hospitals are competing with them and trying to take away “clients” by opening evening clinics at prices far below what private clinics charge. It seems that the private hospitals have forgotten about the time when they emptied people’s pockets in the absence of competition.
Providing free medical care at government hospitals is a basic right that is made available to all members of the public. Had such services been provided as needed and had it not been for the overcrowding of public hospitals and the refusal of government hospitals run by entities other than the Ministry of Health to treat any one other than their employees, private hospitals would not have flourished. The state has every right to invest in heath care and provide medical care to non-Saudis as well as Saudis as long as they are willing to pay to receive specialist services in government hospitals. What is even stranger is that the demand by private hospitals complaining of public hospitals taking away their “clients” was not met with a firm retort from the relevant authorities. Instead, the weak response encouraged others to make similar complaints.
A related situation has developed with owners of training centers who, at a meeting with officials of the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training, complained that community service centers at government universities are competing with them by opening special training programs for the public. The centers may be trying to cover up their failures and inabilities to provide training programs that justify the money paid by students, some of whom have borrowed money in order to pay the fees. With their main concern of making profit, the centers too often produce trainees who seem to have learned nothing.
Unfortunately, instead of refusing to entertain such an absurd statement, the authorities assured the owners that universities would not offer programs similar to theirs. They further assured them that 50 percent of new applicants for summer training courses would be sent to private centers. It is a position hard to understand, especially when coming from the body overseeing the country’s training policy and it amounts to protecting the owners of private centers from competition. Where does the problem lie? In the policies and plans or in the individuals entrusted with enforcing the policies and plans?
