KUWAIT CITY, Nov 16: The committee representing owners of consumer delivery companies proposed to the concerned officials at the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) a review of the permissible deduction percentage from drivers’ salaries in this sector, along with an increase in the rate—particularly regarding traffic violations—following the issuance of the new law. Committee Chairman Abdulaziz Al-Faleh stated that the proposals were presented at a meeting held recently between the committee members, acting Director General of PAM Eng. Rabab Al-Osaimi, her deputies, and several department directors with relevant expertise.

Al-Faleh explained that “the request to deduct traffic fines from drivers’ salaries is in light of the implementation of the new traffic law and the remarkable increase in the value of traffic fines, which now reach thousands of Kuwaiti Dinars for a single driver within a few days. This necessitates a reassessment of the current deduction rate to be fair for both parties.” He clarified that the number of delivery companies has reached 1,900, and that the submitted proposals aim to develop procedures and enhance the stability of the consumer delivery market. He revealed that one of the most difficult challenges the business owners are facing now is the delay in processing certain transactions, including the issuance of an absence report for a worker who left his job, a procedure that currently takes about two to four months.

He added that the proposals for improving the delivery sector include addressing the status of drivers after the cancellation of final travel. He emphasized the importance of increasing job security in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by strictly enforcing the law on fixed-term employment contracts, specifically when an establishment is committed to paying salaries on time and fulfilling all its obligations toward its employees.

On the other hand, PAM confirmed in a press statement that many proposals aimed at developing work mechanisms and regulating the delivery sector within the SME framework were discussed during the meeting with the committee. It indicated that the discussions covered labor grievances, assessing labor needs, reviewing the timeframe for transferring workers within the current system, and establishing a direct communication channel with specialists at the Authority to follow up technical developments more efficiently and quickly. PAM affirmed its commitment to strengthening partnerships with various productive sectors and supporting the work environment for national projects.