Positive effects of normalcy; ‘Platforms no more’

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KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: The Cabinet’s decision to do away with ‘Kuwait Mosafer’ and “Bal Salama” platforms for domestic workers, in addition to the “Mina” system for accrediting foreign laboratories for the issuance of PCR certificates, has met the satisfaction of domestic labor recruitment offices, reports Al-Jarida daily. The owners say this step, which is in line with returning normalcy to Kuwait reflects positively on the labor market and the newly recruited workers particularly the domestics.

The specialist in domestic labor affairs, Bassam Al- Shammari, thanked the Cabinet and the government agencies for responding to the demands of office owners to stop the “Bal Salama platform”, stressing that the decision will have a huge effect on the domestic labor market, especially amid the severe shortage that it is currently experiencing, and will accelerate the pace of recruitment from abroad, and will increase the appetite of workers to come to Kuwait.

Al-Shammari explained to “Al-Jarida” that the most prominent positives of the decision were the reduction in recruitment costs, after deducting the institutional quarantine expenses, which was 240 dinars, in a way that eases the financial burdens on those who wish to use the services of this labor, indicating that after the cancellation of the quarantine, there will be no additional recruitment costs other than airline tickets, and conducting a PCR examination for those who are not vaccinated.

Regarding lifting the quarantine imposed on workers who entered Kuwait last week, that is, before the decision to stop work on the platform took effect, Al-Shammari said that some office owners demanded those in charge of “safety” to cancel the quarantine imposed on these workers who entered the country before the decision was implemented, but the authorities refused and said they must adhere to completing the 14-day quarantine period,” noting that there was a case whose sponsor threatened to file a complaint with the Ministry of Interior about the disappearance of the worker brought on his sponsorship, the quarantine was cancelled and she was handed over to the sponsor.

He renewed his call for the necessity of activating the cabinet decision and canceling the quarantine imposed on newly recruited domestic workers, and handing them over to their employers upon their arrival in the country, as well as canceling all restrictions imposed on new workers. For his part, the owner of one of the recruitment offices, Nayef Al-Mazal, expressed his satisfaction with the decision to stop working on the “Safety” platform, stressing that it is a true translation of the stability of the health situation in the country, and the beginning of the decline of the fourth wave of the epidemic, amid the successive decisions recently taken by the Council of Ministers in order to return to normal life and easing restrictions on travel, recruitment of workers and allowing gatherings.

Al-Mazal told Al-Jarida, “Local offices have suffered greatly during the past period from the scarcity of foreign recruitment requests, and the reluctance of workers to come to Kuwait, preferring other neighboring countries, due to the difficulty of recruitment procedures imposed by the concerned authorities, in addition to the many obstacles placed by countries exporting or receiving labor in the wake of the outbreak of the pandemic,” stressing that the decision to stop work on the platform doubles recruitment requests, which will reflect on the numbers of workers that will enter the country during the coming period, especially as we are approaching the blessed month of Ramadan, during which the demand for these workers increases.

He pointed out that all indicators pave the way for the return to normal life with procedures for the recruitment and use of civil and domestic workers that were in place before the emergence of the pandemic, especially that there is a noticeable decline in the number of infections among domestic workers who arrive in the country.

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