Manama: Kuwait has launched an unprecedented investigation to check whether government employees have abused the Haj (pilgrimage) holiday system to travel elsewhere or stay away from work.
Under Kuwaiti laws, a public employee who applies to go to Haj is entitled to a paid holiday of 40 days.
However, recent media reports in the northern Arabian Gulf country claimed that several employees abused the system by applying to go to Haj, but instead of heading to Makkah, they either went on long holidays abroad or stayed at home, but did not report to work.
The government has now directed all ministries to look into all the applications for Haj this year and to request all those who had applied to present evidence that they performed Haj, local Arabic daily Al Rai reported on Monday.
The evidence should be photocopies of the Saudi stamps on the passport that prove the employee’s entry and exit dates as well as the formal document from the Haj operator who took the pilgrim to Makkah for the rituals.
All those who had abused the system will face legal action, officials from the Civil Service Commission, the body overseeing the public sector, said.
The verification of unexcused absences or possible abuses by employees who extended official holidays by taking extra days off will also be carried out, they added.
Several Kuwaitis tend to stretch the weekend or national or religious holiday breaks by adding extra days without the approval of their employers or the Civil Service Commission.
