Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Mohammad Al-Afasi has unveiled his ministry’s plan to improve the working conditions of expatriates in line with the latest developments in the international and Arab communities, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily. Disclosing the plan includes a mechanism for the establishment of a public authority for the recruitment of expatriate workers, Al-Afasi explained this authority will play a crucial role in organizing procedures for hiring workers from their countries of origin. He reiterated the ministry’s commitment to provide the necessary facilities for the recruitment of expatriate workers. He said the ministry will organize the labor market in non-government and oil sectors, in addition to modifying some procedures to stop the transfer of visit visas to work permits.  Al-Afasi also highlighted the ministry’s intention to come up with a set of regulations regarding the qualifications of expatriate workers to ensure recruitment of skilled and efficient employees.

Meanwhile, Assistant Undersecretary for Labor Sector Affairs Mansour Al-Mansour has affirmed the ministry’s intention to ease procedures for expatriate workers, indicating the ministry has started studying the proposed issuance of Article 19 visa (self-sponsorship) to foreign business partners and other professionals. Asked about the transfer of residence permits for expatriates hired from abroad on Article 18 visa without the approval of current sponsors provided they spent three years with the latter, Al-Mansour stressed the ministry has started implementing this decision and it is now looking at the possibility of canceling the three years condition as part of its commitment to ease the burdens of expatriate workers.

Commenting on the strikes staged recently by expatriate laborers due to non-payment of salaries, Al-Mansour said the ministry will form inspection teams to ensure that companies give the salaries of their workers on time.
In a related development, sources said the ministry will provide additional services to expatriates in the private sector, including its decision to re-open files of suspended companies under code 72 to allow their employees to transfer to another sponsor, reports Al-Shahid daily. Sources added the ministry has issued a directive to put these files under code 73 to ease procedures for the transfer of residence permits of the concerned employees to other sponsors.

Arab Times