KUWAIT: This archive photo shows an aerial view of Kuwait City. - Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: The government is preparing a roadmap for restructuring the public sector with a focus on economy through redesigning organizational structures and state public policies, a local daily reported yesterday. Al-Qabas Arabic newspaper published the most notable items of the roadmap, which includes abolishing some ministries and merging others, and using independent authorities to run ministries that will be abolished. The period of implementing the transformation should take one to four years - from 2022 until the end of 2025.

The report quotes 'official sources' who said not appointing or not renewing some leadership posts in state ministries in the past period was due to the restructuring of the public sector. New leaders who worked sincerely during the past period will be selected to go along with the new restructuring revolution. The most important features of the government roadmap to restructure the public sector include:

* Establishing a ministry of economy and commerce to handle the economic development portfolio from 2022, while authorities similar to it be transferred to it within two and a half years, along with the transfer of economic and investment authorities to it.

* Reviewing investment laws, foreign ownership, bankruptcy laws and public and private sector partnership.

* Expanding the range of the national fund for developing small and medium projects to include innovation.

* Dismantling the services ministry and creating a communications ministry.

* Dismantling the information ministry and abolishing it, and creating an authority to implement media rules from 2023.

* Creating a ministry for youth, culture and tourism.

* Creating six new local municipalities that cover all Kuwait governorates.

* Creating a state-owned public establishment and preparing an operational strategy for several services.

* Creating a government establishment for electricity.

* Creating a new department for education policies and designing its strategy.

* Merging the Public Authority for Youth and Public Authority for Sport under one entity.

* Abolishing the state ministry for housing.

* Merging the education ministry with the higher education ministry.

* Merging the environment authority with the health ministry.