08/08/2022
17244 times read
08/08/2022
17244 times read
“IT IS my sincere wish that the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Health, the Kuwait Municipality, or any other party concerned to prevent the booths that have popped up in the passage ways of malls from spraying perfume and placing incense in the corridors of malls to attract shoppers,” columnist Iqbal Al-Ahmad wrote for Al-Qabas.
![](https://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Iqbal-Al-Ahmad.jpg)
“In fact, this causes many health problems for some of those who go to these places, because of allergies, cases of asthma and suffocation to some after inhaling incense and perfumes that are sprayed because of their strong reaction and frequently from time to time I ask those concerned to take this issue with some seriousness because of the complaints of many people and a large group of people suffering from respiratory diseases.
“Moving from this topic, let me come to the growing acts of trafficking of Asian workers as well as Arabs; they work independently, and their residencies are on Kuwaiti sponsors whom they pay either lumpsums even before the worker arrives in Kuwait or for a fixed amount paid to them monthly.
“I got into a discussion with these workers more than once in order to help them, especially after I learned that the money they pay is much more than the income they get for their services and work.
“Can I report these people who traffic in others and their need to work? Am I required to disclose the name of the exploited worker?
“In the midst of all my questions, I stopped at some things, which I found would not lead me to the goal I aspire to.
“These helpless workers often pay huge sums of money beyond their ability to collect after a short period of time until they get the residence permit on someone who only sees them once a month when he receives the money or when renewing the work permit. The payment here is often in cash and not through any bank transfers, which makes it difficult to prove the case, in addition to the state of panic and terror that surrounds everyone I talk to in this regard, for fear that their livelihood will be cut off or that they will be involved in any fabricated case planned by the residence trader.
“I hope that the Integrity Commission or anybody responsible for fighting corruption will find a solution to this issue, which often brings a negative impact on Kuwait due to the exploitation of people’s need for work.
“In light of the directives of the leadership and Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah in cleaning up the swamps of corruption, I hope that this issue will take its rightful place in terms of research and investigation, and develop alternative solutions to prevent this type of greedy people from finding an outlet for them to achieve their goals and ambitions, and provide a correct and legal way to bring workers who wish to work independently other than permanent domestic workers.”