[18/11/2024 05:43]

ADEN - SABA
Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Awadh bin Mubarak inaugurated on Monday a national workshop focused on institutional reforms in Yemen: Strengthening State Institutions for a Promising Future.

The workshop, organized by the Prime Ministry in coordination with the Ministry of Civil Service and Insurance, and supported by the United Nations Development Program, will take place over three days.

Its goal is to create a collaborative platform to support the government in its efforts to enhance public administration and build institutions by assessing the current state of government entities, identifying key obstacles to their renewal, and outlining necessary steps for their reform and strengthening.

In his opening speech, Prime Minister emphasized that this is the first workshop organized by the Yemeni government since the disastrous Houthi coup, aimed at achieving several objectives, including directing donor activity and international organizations toward vital sectors that will make a significant difference in Yemen.

“I want to stress that we are not starting from scratch; we are mindful of the previous efforts made in this area and the government’s commitments in financial and administrative reform, particularly its commitments to the Arab Monetary Fund,” he said.

The Prime Minister confirmed that this workshop is part of implementing five pathways that are primary priorities for the government, aiming to rectify many distortions and change the current reality of institutions, transforming them into entities that achieve efficiency and capability in performance based on the principles of good governance, transparency, accountability, the rule of law, justice, and equality.

Bin Mubarak pointed out that the workshop highlights one of the major issues facing the government: the status of the pension fund, which serves as a fundamental umbrella for social protection for a wide segment of society—the retirees who have dedicated a significant part of their lives to serving the nation and deserve to be a priority for the government.

He stated: "However, we place this within a vision for comprehensive administrative reform that begins with overhauling the pension system and transforming it into a successful investment fund with the freedom to invest its resources in vital and secure investment projects, contributing to the country’s development while ensuring the rights of the insured and providing them with social protection and a decent life."

The Prime Minister revealed that in some institutions, the percentage of those reaching retirement age has reached 80%. Due to difficult living conditions and an inability to meet pension salary obligations, employees eligible for retirement have been forced to remain in their positions, leading to compounded administrative and financial problems that hinder the renewal and rejuvenation of government institutions, thereby weakening state institutions and limiting their efficiency and performance.

This situation has also deprived institutions of benefiting from the energy of youth, who are our hope for a better future. One of our goals is to empower youth in government institutions.

He clarified that the objective of reforming the pension system is not only to enhance social protection but also to initiate a comprehensive reform process within state institutions.

The Prime Minister announced a comprehensive reform process in five key areas: restructuring institutions, reforming wages and salaries, improving employment policy, building capacities, and advancing digitization.

He emphasized that these reforms are not mere aspirations but necessary steps to ensure the sustainability of our institutions and fulfill the aspirations of the Yemeni people in building a strong, cohesive, and just state.

Regarding the first area of restructuring institutions, Dr. Ahmed Awadh bin Mubarak explained that many institutions operate with traditional, replicated structures that do not fit their assigned tasks.

He directed the restructuring of the Prime Minister's Office and the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers as a first step toward transforming the Prime Minister's Office into a center of excellence that serves as a model for government performance.

He noted that as part of wage and salary reform, a new system will be developed to promote fairness and equity, achieving financial and psychological stability for employees.

The employment policy will be reformed by adopting a competitive and transparent system that ensures the selection of qualified and capable staff, contributing to enhancing institutional performance efficiency.

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