‘No work permit for 60s, deportations … this happens only in Kuwait’

This news has been read 85987 times!

“WHAT happens in Kuwait sometimes does not happen in other countries of the world, and decisions and procedures are taken that are very strange, useless and lacking in logic, and in this article I will address two topics of what is happening in Kuwait only,” columnist and MP Dr. Hamad Muhammad Al- Matar wrote for Al-Jarida daily.

“The first topic, Government Decision No. 520 of 2020, prohibiting the issuance of work permits for those aged 60 and above who hold high school diplomas and below, and the deportation of those without regard to their reality and the extent of the damage that will be caused to the private sector as a result of this decision.

“If the government does not want expatriates who have reached 60 years of age to work in public sector institutions, then this is its right, and it may take the measures it deems appropriate in whom it contracts and with whom it ends its contracts, but to obligate the private sector with its decision and to insist that this sector be terminated is in the hands of the individuals of this category to continue or discontinue with them, as this interferes with the mechanism of work of this sector and harms its interests and institutions that need expertise according to the assessment of each of its institutions.

“The government’s argument in the decision to deport these people is the high cost of health care provided to them, and if that is the case and regardless of other considerations, the government can require appropriate health insurance for this category, instead of deporting them, and in Kuwait there are many insurance companies that can provide insurance.

“In addition to that, many of these people have lived in Kuwait for many years, including owners of institutions and partners in other institutions, their families in Kuwait and their money in Kuwaiti banks, and they can take care of their health care through appropriate insurance. “So how can they be deported like this by a decision without looking at all these considerations? Even worse, the decision was amended by requiring the payment of a fee of 2000 dinars to issue a work permit for those who have reached 60 years of age, and linking their stay in Kuwait to a financial case and a large financial collection annually, which cannot be explained and is not befitting government procedures. But this is Kuwait.

“The second topic was the visit of the Competition Protection Authority in Kuwait to one of the sister countries that is characterized by shortcomings in this aspect to benefit from its experiences. “This sister country ranked 93 in the Global Competitiveness Index for the year 2020, while Kuwait ranked 46, meaning that this country lags behind Kuwait with 47 points, can you imagine that? The important question is: What can this country offer to the Kuwaiti delegation in the field of competition protection, other than failure? “But again this is Kuwait where what does not happen in other countries of the world is happening.”

This news has been read 85987 times!