Kuwaiti government ministries are implementing a scheme that allows their employees to exchange accrued holidays for money, according to a Kuwaiti newspaper.

According to a Kuwaiti government decree issued in April, employees who do not use their holidays can be paid for them.

Al Anba newspaper cited well-informed sources as saying that the ministries have already reduced the holiday durations proposed for the swap before offering cash in exchange.

According to the sources, holiday sales are handled based on employee requests without limiting the number of swapped days.

They added that 30 days should be the minimum remaining holiday balance.

They added without providing further details that cash disbursements would be determined by each ministry in coordination with the Finance Ministry.

Earlier this month, Al Anba reported that the scheme would apply to all government employees, including expatriates.

Certain conditions must be met by eligible employees. According to the report, civil servants must have worked at least five years and have at least 30 days of holiday remaining until the end of the Gregorian year.

An employee must also have excellent performance evaluations in his or her last two evaluations.

A Kuwaiti government pledged in February to amend a civil service law so that employees can be paid for unused holidays in response to a parliamentary proposal.

There is no information available on how many employees would be affected by the scheme in the country of 4.6 million.