Mixed reactions on PAM decision over ‘60s’ issue

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KUWAIT CITY, Nov 7: The decision issued by the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) during its meeting Thursday which was headed by Minister of Commerce and Industry who is also PAM Chairman of Board of Directors to cancel the earlier Decision No. 520/2020 which was issued by the ‘suspended’ PAM Director-General Ahmad Mousa which forbid renewing the work permits of non-graduate expatriates 60 years and above drew mixed reactions because according to the new decision this category of people must pay 500 dinars as renewal fee in addition to health insurance costing between 500 and 750 dinars, reports Al-Anba daily.

Some citizens and residents told Al-Anba the decision is unfair and must be reconsidered, taking into account the living conditions of a majority of expatriates. The daily visited the Mubarakiya Market, one of the oldest and prime markets in Kuwait for people’s reactions. Fahd Al-Marri said that the decision is good and deserves to be commended, pointing out that most of the developed countries impose fees for services they provide to residents in the form of health insurance, roads and services of various kinds, pointing out that the fees are reasonable and any expatriate can afford to pay.

However, Kuwaiti Abu Mohammad looked at it from a different angle calling the decision unsatisfactory. He feels a majority of the expatriates who have spent a long time in Kuwait and became part of its population fabric are low income people and will be affected. He pointed out the decision must be reconsidered, taking into account the living conditions of the expatriates and appreciating their efforts in serving the country during the past years.

Citizen Khaled Al-Mutairi called the decision ‘merciless’ to a group of residents who have the better part of their life in the service of the country, and gave everything they had during the many years they spent in Kuwait. They considered Kuwait as their second home and all of a sudden feel unwanted. For his part, resident Ali Al-Sayed said the decision is not right and no resident will be able to bear the burden. It is difficult for a resident to save money for residence fee and health insurance as in most cases the salary of an expatriate does not exceed 300 dinars, he said. Resident Hussein Al-Areef said the decision is not correct because a majority of the expatriates have spent most of their lives in Kuwait, and most of them do not have another place to live.

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