Khalaf Al-Harbi Okaz newspaper THERE was a time when the Ministry of Labor, Shoura Council, media and even economists used to play down the significance of allocating government aid to the unemployed while turning a blind eye to the billions of Saudi riyals squandered on faltering projects. However, unemployment benefits have become a reality today and countless men and women have benefited from the Hafiz program, thanks to King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Hafiz aid will stop at the end of this Hijri year, i.e. in less than two months, while the Ministry of Labor has failed to create job opportunities for the majority of Hafiz beneficiaries, particularly women who make up the majority of Hafiz recipients, allegedly due to time constraints. The ministry has been unable to find jobs for 700,000 unemployed male and female Saudis. I believe that the most prominent event of this Hijri year is the decision to stop the Hafiz program and I am hopeful that our kindhearted King will issue a order to extend the Hafiz program for another year. A decision to extend the program might be poorly received by the ministry, which is hoping that the program is stopped this year so it can absolve itself of the responsibility of taking care of Hafiz beneficiaries. However, if the ministry looks deeper into this matter, it will realize that the monthly unemployment benefits have elevated the ministry's importance and by getting a firsthand view at the country's unemployed youth, it is in a better position to tackle the problem. I believe if the ministry looks at the program's extension from a larger perspective, it will realize that the amount spent on unemployment benefits is lesser than the expenses spent by the government to deal with problems caused by unemployment. After all, the country is responsible for the welfare of its citizens. The hard economic and social circumstances which the unemployed used to face before the Hafiz program began, strained the budgets of several ministries. I can say, without any form of exaggeration, that Hafiz program has been one of the most prominent achievements of the government over the past few years. We entreat our King to extend the program for another year or more so that the unemployed have more time to find jobs and be productive members of society.
