MP bill set to nationalize public sector expat jobs

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KUWAIT CITY, May 17: MP Abdulkareem Al-Kandari submitted a bill on nationalizing jobs in the public sector within one year from the date of implementation and urged his colleagues to support the proposal.

The bill mandates every public institution and ministry to lay down a plan in the first three months of issuing the executive decree of the law to replace expatriate employees with Kuwaitis.

The description of vacant positions will be amended, taking into consideration the financial aspect and job titles that should match the jobs occupied by Kuwaitis in different institutions.

Every public institution must advertise vacancies as per the law on their establishment.

In case no citizen applies for the advertised vacancies, the concerned institutions will be allowed to recruit expatriates under annual contracts. These contracts shall not be renewed prior to the publication of advertisements for the same position to give citizens a chance to apply.

Each public institution should submit reports about the advertised jobs with low or zero turnout of Kuwaiti applicants to the concerned authorities. The executive decree shall stipulate procedures for terminating contracts signed by expatriate employees prior to the implementation of the law.

Also, MP Salah Khursheed intends to submit a bill on amending Civil Services Decree No. 15/1979 in order to add an article prohibiting the recruitment of expatriates for lawrelated jobs.

In another development, MP Riyadh Al-Adasani said the grilling of Finance Minister Barrak Al-Shitan has become a necessity for a number of reasons; such as the minister’s insistence to push for the approval of the Public Loan Bill which will allow the government to obtain KD 20 billion loan.

The minister ignored several plausible solutions like utilizing the retained profits of many public institutions, collecting payments for loans granted by the State and rationalizing expenditures, he added. He also cited the delayed issuance of a decision to suspend installments for loans obtained by citizens from the family and insolvency funds, warning that he will submit another grilling motion in case the minister survives this interpellation.

Moreover, MP Muhammad Al-Dallal stressed the need to rectify the lopsided demographic structure. He was quick to clarify this does not mean neglecting services for expatriate workers in all fields; particularly health, education and legal.

He pointed out that protecting the dignity of individuals and ensuring justice for everyone are part of the Islamic principles; hence, the need to distinguish those involved in visa trading from the expatriates who serve Kuwait honestly.

In addition, MP Faisal Al-Kandari urged the government to review decisions on the recruitment of expatriates in order to eliminate visa trading. He said the government should increase fees for obtaining and renewing residency permits, as well as the health services offered to expatriates.

He called for toughening penalties and increasing fines for those proven to have violated the Residency Law, indicating many violators have been staying in the country for long a time without paying fines as they are waiting for the State to grant them amnesty.

By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff

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