Dr Amthal Al-Huwailah made the call during a session focused on governance and transparency in the cooperative sector. The minister stressed that board members bear primary responsibility for preventing corruption and ensuring proper management of public funds. Al-Huwailah said effective oversight starts with the boards themselves, which must operate with complete integrity to maintain confidence in the system.
The Ministry of Social Affairs has been stepping up its monitoring efforts in response to past irregularities. A central control room project for cooperative societies was described by the minister as a first step toward better regulation. This comes after the ministry referred several cases involving cooperative boards to prosecution in previous years.
In June this year the minister issued a decision dismissing eight members of the Al-Firdous Cooperative Society board for serious violations. The action was taken to protect public funds and shareholders’ equity, according to the ministry. Similar measures have been applied to other societies when evidence of administrative or financial misconduct emerged.
Revised legislation from 2025 grants the minister authority to dissolve boards or dismiss members for violations while setting higher eligibility standards for candidates. The law requires board members to hold university degrees, possess three years of society membership and complete specialized training, a ministry overview showed. Convicted individuals face bans from future candidacies for two or three terms depending on the offense severity.
Cooperative societies continue to play a central role in Kuwait’s consumer market with dozens of outlets providing daily necessities to citizens and expatriates. The Kuwait Union for Consumer Cooperative Societies has highlighted their contribution to national food security in past statements. Al-Huwailah’s remarks align with ongoing efforts to align the sector with best governance practices.
The minister previously criticized auditors at some cooperatives for insufficient performance and called for upgrades in their capabilities. All departments have been instructed to apply uniform standards in reviewing society operations. Training initiatives have been expanded to equip board members with the necessary skills for effective oversight.
