Domestic workers recruitment begins under new fee structure
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KUWAIT CITY, Jan 29: Acting General Manager of Al-Durra Labor Recruitment Company Muhammad Fahd Al-Zoubi said the implementation of contracts for the recruitment of domestic workers has started based on the fees set by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, including air tickets, reports Al- Anba daily. In a statement to the daily, Al-Zoubi confirmed this step was taken with the support and guidance of the company’s Board of Directors; indicating that the decision was carefully considered. He pointed out the ministry is a governmental body that makes decisions based on technical studies and bilateral agreements, and in coordination and consultation with other government agencies concerned with labor recruitment; thereby, setting fair fees.
He stressed that the first and last goal is to reduce the burden on the citizens in recruiting a domestic worker, especially when the fees reached shocking levels as some took advantage of the citizens’ domestic manpower needs, particularly before the holy month of Ramadan He disclosed that Al-Durra Company modified the contracts according to the new fees set by the ministry, including the plane ticket. Commenting on the report of a Sri Lankan non-governmental body that 50 percent of the recruitment value will be returned within six months if the domestic worker escapes, Al- Zoubi asserted this is not true.
He considers this a strong indication that the report was issued by an irresponsible party, and it is a means to put pressure on behalf of internal parties to raise the fees for the recruitment of domestic workers. He added that Al-Durra Company, which operates by the government’s plans, has ensured that the new fees are compatible with the cost of recruitment. He affirmed coordination with the government agency; which includes more than 900 offices, companies and agencies accredited by the Government of Sri Lanka that has bilateral agreements with Kuwait in this regard. He clarified that the entity, which stated the Republic of Sri Lanka, is a non-governmental entity and only 200 offices fall under its umbrella; reiterating the statement was not issued by the Sri Lankan Government, Ministry of Labor, or Embassy in the country.
He was surprised that some people resorted to comparing the latest fees with those in other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries; as each market has its own economic nature, price balance, and work environment, and each country has its own decisions regulating this matter, which means the company adheres to everything issued by the official State authorities. He explained that the statement of a nongovernmental agency that the domestic labor recruitment cost is KD600 and that the fee announced by the ministry is KD750 is a confirmation of a profit — KD150 for each recruitment contract, which is a logical amount and sufficient profit for the recruitment office, and does not burden the citizens.
He added that demanding other fees or leaving such an area open would lead to seeking excessive profit and exhausting the citizens by exploiting their need for domestic workers, wondering what profit some recruitment office owners are aspiring for. He continued: “We, at Al-Durra Labor Company, believe that recruitment offices are supposed to work for the benefit of citizens and to serve our country by unifying the world against any unjustified price hike from abroad, cooperating with government agencies, and not creating crises for financial purposes, especially since the holy month of Ramadan is fast approaching.”
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