Barely work 1 hour: Saudi govt employees angry at 'lazy' comments

Jeddah - Minister says Saudi Arabia faces bankruptcy unless austerity measures are taken.

Saudi citizens are outraged over comments by ministers regarding civil servants in the Kingdom only work an hour a day, citing it as the reason why the country faces bankruptcy.
According to reports in local media, the ministers made the comments during a debate in an episode of a show, '8'oclock with Dawood' show.
Minister of Civil Services, Khaled Al-Araj claimed that government employees barely put in an hour's day of work at the office.
Deputy Minister of Economy and Planning Muhammad Al-Tuwaijri, in the same TV debate, warned that government's finances will come under severe pressure unless austerity measures are enforced, adding that bankruptcy is inevitable in three years.
"If oil prices keep declining and the Saudi government does not take action with economic and austerity measures . . . bankruptcy in the Kingdom is inevitable within three to four years."
Later on Sunday this week, Tuwaijri admitted that using the term "bankruptcy" was a misjudgment on his part.
"I'm declaring it publicly, probably my expression betrayed me by using such a stern phrase," he said, Saudi Gazette reported.
Several hashtags have been activated on Twitter, including a hashtag under the name 'hour with Alaraj'
One of the Saudis tweeted that such a statement was a crime against employees.
Talking to Saudi Gazette, a senior legal adviser, said, "One-hour workday is an exaggeration and insulting to employees."
However, even he admitted that productivity was very low in government departments.
Even a Saudi mother opined over the debate, defending her four 'workaholic' sons: 'Labelling all public sector workers as lazy was stereotyping them."

• Saudi Arabia