KUWAIT CITY, Feb 6: Kuwait’s Audit Bureau is seriously studying the possibility of replacing expatriate workers in ministries and other government departments with nationals, reports Awan daily quoting sources. Sources explained this came after the Ministry of Finance issued its December 2009 report, stating the total end-of-service payment for non-Kuwaiti workers has been estimated at KD13 million. In its report, the ministry pointed out the monetary privileges given to expatriate workers constrain the state’s coffers.

Sources said there are serious moves to reduce the number of expatriate workers in government institutions to provide more jobs for Kuwaitis, especially after noticing a remarkable increase in the financial benefits, including salaries and indemnity, granted to expatriates. In another development, the bureau has exceeded the limit for the collection of public money for the current fiscal year as it was expected to collect KD499,000 but the actual collection totaled KD711,974 — 142.7 percent of the target.