‘Smartness’ exemplified

ABDULAZIZ AL-MUHAMMAD AL-THEKAIR Al-Riyadh People often tell jokes about business and how to make matters serve one’s interests. One such jokes goes like this: Bids for the maintenance contract for the outer wall of the White House were invited, and an American, a Mexican and a Saudi contractor came forward with their bids. The American contractor measured up the outer wall and set a price of $900. The White House in-charge asked him: “Why $900?” He replied: “$400 for materials, $400 for labor, and $100 is my profit.” The Mexican contractor measured up the outer wall and submitted a bid of $700. The White House in-charge asked him” “Why?” He said: “$300 for materials, $300 for workers, and $100 is my profit.” As for the Saudi, he didn’t take any measurements, but went straight to the White House in-charge and whispered in his ear: “my bid is $2700.” The White House in-charge shouted at him: “Are you crazy? Why $2700?” With all coolness, the Saudi quietly whispered in his ear: “$1000 for me, $1000 for you, and let the Mexican do the work for $700.” The Saudi contractor won the tender. From time to time, strangely-worded advertisements appear in our local newspapers. An example is an ad looking for a tender specialist. Till now, I have never heard of such a scientific or administrative post. It seems it is a new “specialization” in which students are taught skills and fieldwork. Only God knows what this really is. One of the applicants for a job at a contracting company said he was asked: “Do you know many people in government departments? Do you know the people working in financial affairs very well?” It appears to me that this is the required specialization: knowing the right people in the government is now the basis of knowledge. Proficiency, loyalty and integrity are exceptions. Something worries me, and is perhaps causing concern for others, too. Commercial and services works are now based on integrity and keeping one’s word, and not on meeting deadlines. As a result, we will see many projects carried out poorly, and a drop in the standard of every infrastructure project in the country. It is said that the financial returns from profitable deals are very high. One of their advantages is that the contractor is kept free from answering for their work or facing scrutiny.