Kuwait’s Ministry of Social Affairs has launched a sweeping regulatory reform targeting cooperative societies, announcing a comprehensive credential audit campaign covering all employees, both citizens and expatriates, in a decisive move to elevate performance standards and enforce stronger governance across the sector.

Dr. Sayed Eissa confirmed that the initiative is being implemented under direct instructions from the Council of Ministers, with official directives already circulated to the Union of Cooperative Societies, requiring all boards to secure accreditation approvals from the Ministry of Higher Education for employee qualifications within a strict three month deadline.

He explained that the first phase of the audit will focus on verifying university degrees, followed by a second phase targeting non university credentials, particularly diploma holders working in supporting cooperative roles, ensuring full alignment between academic qualifications and actual job responsibilities.

The move is part of a broader restructuring strategy aimed at standardizing organizational frameworks, job descriptions, and salary scales across all cooperative societies, reinforcing institutional governance while improving operational efficiency and workforce productivity.

Dr. Eissa emphasized that upcoming phases will introduce automated competency tests for employees, similar to systems already used for supervisory roles, warning that individuals who fail to meet required standards will be removed from their positions, as part of a strict policy to ensure that only qualified and capable professionals remain within the cooperative sector.