Mohammed Bin Salman: Corruption in KSA was Like Cancer
The Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, said that that “corruption has spread in the Kingdom during the past decades like cancer.”
The Crown Prince stated that “Corruption consumes 5% to 15% of the budget, which means that the performance is less by 5% to 15%, affecting the quality of services, projects, number of jobs, etc. This was not only for a year or two but cumulatively over a period of thirty years” He added, “I sincerely consider this is the first enemy of development and prosperity; the corruption is the cause of loss for many great opportunities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
The Crown Prince affirmed that “this thing has become a thing of the past and will not be repeated after today on any scale without a strong and painful account of those who beg for it regardless of who they are.”
He stated that “the results of the anti-corruption campaign were clear to all, as the total proceeds of the anti-corruption settlements reached 247 billion riyals in the past three years, representing 20% of the total non-oil revenues, in addition to other assets in the tens of billions that were transferred to the Ministry of Finance, and will be recorded in the revenues when they are completed and liquidated, including real estate and stocks.”
The Crown Prince is stressing “the Kingdom’s efforts in maintaining justice and equality. He indicated that in the past, Saudi women could not travel without a permit, could not attend sporting and cultural events, could not drive a car, could not practice a lot of work, and could not finish their cases without a mahram. She suffered from this for decades, but today Saudi women are experiencing an unprecedented phase of empowerment.”
He stated, “We have worked to empower Saudi women in the field of work and personal status, and today they are effectively a partner for the Saudi men in the development of all of our homeland without discrimination” He continued, “I am not only referring to women driving cars. I am talking about providing them with the opportunity to lead development in their homeland in the broadest sense. For example, the rate of women’s participation in the labor market doubled from 17% to 31%.”
Source: SPA
