The Peninsula newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief Khalid Al Sayid has urges Qatar to learn from Kuwait, calling in an editorial today for greater transparency on the part of Qatari government officials to prevent corruption.

Al Sayed was referring to a controversy Kuwait has seen in recent weeks sparked by the transfer of large amounts of funds into bank accounts of two members of parliament. Following “Kuwaiti Watergate,” almost a fifth of Kuwait’s 50 MPs are under investigation, a draft anti-corruption law has been passed, and discussion is under way for an anti-corruption authority.

Says Al Sayed:

Countries in the Gulf, with its galloping rate of growth and expanding economic activities, should learn from the Kuwaiti experience and put corrective measures in place.

Qatar, in Article 38 of its old constitution, barred ministers from business or commercial transactions with the State while in office.

However, the new constitution does not have a similar provision, nor is any legislation is in place setting a clear benchmark for such dealings.

We do not have a law that requires ministers and other government officials to declare their assets and liabilities before and after taking office either.