Kuwait refutes reports on plan to limit number of expats’ entry
Kuwait – Around 47,000 expatriate workers entered Kuwait this year and 26,000 left the country for good, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily quoting Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor Undersecretary Mohammad Al-Kandari.
Al-Kandari vehemently denied rumors on Kuwait’s plan to limit the number of expatriates entering the country. He said the ministry issues one thousand visit visas monthly, in addition to an undisclosed number of work permits, so these allegations are baseless.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Ghabka, held by Deputy Premier for Economic Affairs and State Minister for Housing and Development Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahd Al-Sabah recently, Al-Kandari discussed the latest developments on the automated system. He said the ministry has so far completed 30 percent of the employers’ files and its system has been linked to its interior counterpart and the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI).
Al-Kandari disclosed a meeting was held two days ago between the minister of commerce and industry and senior officials to discuss ways to link the systems of both ministries. He affirmed the public will greatly benefit from this step as it will expedite procedures for the processing of their transactions.
In the meantime, Al-Anba daily has reported that Assistant Undersecretary for Labor Affairs Mansour Al-Mansour formed a committee of legal experts in the labor sector to study the bylaws on organizing workers syndicates or unions.
Sources explained the committee will amend the bylaws in accordance with the new labor law in the private sector and the related international agreements. Sources said the committee is expected to complete its task before the establishment of an autonomous authority for labor affairs.
