Qahtani, chairman of the National Society for Human Rights, has disclosed that some authorities, including the Civil Status Administration, are slow in processing transactions they receive. In a wide-ranging interview, he also said the NSHR has written to many authorities to rectify the status of “Al-Bidoon” - people who do not hold identification papers – so as to end their suffering. Commenting on the issue of increasing prices of essential commodities, Al-Qahtani said a plan was under way to launch a national center to monitor prices. Expressing his dissatisfaction over the facilities at most of the Traffic Department's detention facilities, he urged the relevant authorities to look into the matter. The NSHR chief was also critical of the slow pace of work in different government departments particularly the Civil Status Administration. He said the Civil Status Administration is slow in issuing identification papers to Al-Bidoons. Asked about labor disputes and the NSHR's demand to transfer labor cases to labor courts, Al-Qahtani said judicial commissions and higher commissions in major regions look into the cases. “This leads to the cases piling up in these commissions, which means it can take years for them to be resolved, leaving the employee without identification papers, expired papers or unable to transfer sponsorship, he said. Al-Qahtani expressed hope that the labor cases would promptly be referred to the recently announced labor courts. Asked about some sectors' lack of efficiency in responding to the NSHR's observations, he said the society receives mixed responses. “In some cases, decisions are not made quickly and it takes too long to fi”nd solutions, which affects a lot of people,” he said. Regarding a statement by NSHR that employees of some sectors work with only 50 percent of their capacity and that citizens' rights suffer because of that, Al-Qahtani said the problem lies in changing employees' conduct such that the attitude or concept toward the job changes from being an authority over the citizens to serving them. Supervision alone cannot solve this problem if the employee himself does not change, he added. “To achieve this goal, there is a need for training programs, efficient supervision, financial and moral incentives,” Al-Qahtani said. Regarding the project for the protection of consumers' rights, he said the project has been referred for royal approval and a copy has been sent to the Consumer Protection Society. He hoped that the relevant authorities would adopt it because there was a serious need to address price fluctuations. “The proposal's key feature is a plan to establish a national center to monitor prices, wages and services,” he said. Speaking about the Traffic Department's detention center across the Kingdom, Al-Qahtani said the policy of holding those who violate traffic regulations needs a radical change. Dr. Muhammad Bin Salim Al-Owfi, Supervisor General of the NSHR branch in Madina, said the office has called for scrapping the sponsorship system in the Kingdom.It has presented alternatives to the existing system in order to safeguard the rights of the sponsors and employees. Dr. Al-Owfi, said the group's team has visited prisons and correction houses, and learnt that a large number of prison inmates are expatriates who had entered the Kingdom illegally. “In some cases, the people remain in prison for a long time while officials check to see if they have committed other crimes,” he said. Commenting on the Deportation Department, Dr. Al-Owfi said the situation there is bad. “There is a lack of proper ventilation and air-conditioning, overcrowding, shortage of water, and procrastination by sponsors in completing procedures for workers under their sponsorship,” he said. An official in the Deportation Department said they usually have to write sponsors three times before they respond and start the procedures. – With input from Abdul Hadi Al
