KUWAIT CITY, Dec 12: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor will suspend the processing of transfer applications and will not accept work permit applications for government projects and from exempted sectors from Dec 25 for a two-week period to carry out its yearly inventory and organizing tasks, reports Al-Seyassah daily.

Assistant Undersecretary for Labor Affairs Jamal Al-Dosari had issued a circular to all labor departments Sunday through which he suspended the activities of the work permits committee during the said period. Labor departments, however, will issue work permits for those applying for the first time, renew residence and will process residence cancellation applications. 

Al-Dosari said the step is being taken in line with Article 11 of Law No. 6/2010 which allows the ministry to suspend work permit issuance for a maximum of two weeks for inventory purposes.

Referring to the proposed manpower public authority, he said the ministry is keen on implementing policies that will help improve services provided to employees and employers. He said the draft law on the authority has already been studied by the previous parliamentary committee for Health, Social and Labor Affairs and that it would be submitted to the new National Assembly for approval.

Al-Dosari further refuted Human Rights Watch’s accusations against Kuwait’s tackling of domestic personnel issue, saying Article 5 of the new labor law empowers the ministry to issue decisions and regulations to organize relations between domestic workers and their employers. He added that a number of studies are being carried out in an attempt to protect the rights of this group.

He also disclosed that the Labor Sector is coordinating with Kuwaiti Career Qualification Organization to test the skills of new people wanting to come to the country to make sure that only efficient and qualified people enter the country. The step is also aimed at preventing the entry of those who cause negative impact on the society and to balance the population structure. Such tests will be conducted online.