I bumped into Jamal the other day at a gas station. Catching up on old times, I asked if he was still working at SGS, the Saudi Geological Survey in Jeddah. He nodded glumly.
“But why, Jamal?” I asked. “I thought they were a well-managed company.”
“They were, Tariq, they were. Past tense. That was when they were run by the Americans and the French, and were known as USGS, United States Geological Survey. But not anymore.”
“And why is that, Jamal?” I inquired. “Aren’t they being run in a similar fashion today? I remember you used to be pretty content then, Jamal. Besides, if my memory serves me right, you were slated for a rapid career, brilliant as you are. What happened?”
“Tariq, don’t depress me any further. I am seriously thinking of a career change. I’ve even discussed this with my wife. Maybe I will go into the fruit import business.”
“Fruit, Jamal? You don’t know anything about fruit. Now I am really worried. Just what exactly is so bad about SGS?”
“You really want to know, Tariq? OK. For starters, how about the fact that our families are not covered under any medical insurance. Ever since we became SGS back in 1995, the issue has been in limbo. And we are not some small mom and pop outfit. We have over 750 employees between Jeddah and Riyadh. But we also have a president who has been dilly-dallying on the issue for several years now.”
“Haven’t you guys approached him on the matter? You know, just because he is the president of the company, that does not mean he can do what he wants on his own. He doesn’t own the company, after all, and must be accountable for his actions to some branch of the government. It is after all a government-funded unit.”
“Tariq, wake up and smell the coffee. There is hardly any accountability, and corruption and nepotism is not unheard-of. If you were to run a survey of staff morale at these companies, you’d wonder how any work at all is getting done.”
He continued, “We assembled a committee a few years ago to study coverage proposals from several insurance companies. But at every meeting, the president would override our recommendations, proposing instead that we deal through a broker. The figure in question was about three million riyals. He felt that was too high. When we showed him that SGS would save money by dealing directly with the insurance companies, he kept deferring the issue.
“SGS has lost credibility among the local insurance companies, because we ask for quotations and never get back to them. Once we get their offer, the president’s office takes over and wants to re-negotiate the offer, or deal through a broker.”
“Surprisingly, there is money for less noble ventures. Since then, Tariq, we have spent somewhere around SR4 million on refurbishing the executive offices, the compound and landscaping. And yet, providing essential medical coverage and benefits to the workers remains an elusive priority.”
“Getting medical treatment through SGS depends on how close you are to the president. If he wants to grant you his blessings then you are the lucky one, and your medical expenses will be approved.
But it depends on his moods and is not a standard policy for all employees. When USGS was running the operation, the budget for the whole company was around 40 million, and we were all covered, including our families. Today our operating budget is almost three times higher, and yet we remain unprotected.”
And while Jamal contemplates the intricacies of the fruit-vending business, I hope that — if what he has been telling me is true — this column may prompt the powers that be at SGS to expedite the issue of medical coverage for their employees and families.
—Tariq A. Al-Maeena, [email protected]
Arab News Features 1 March 2003
