241,220 work permits issued

The Manpower Authority Deputy Director for Recruitment Ahmed Al-Mossa said that the total work permits issued in 2016 were 241,220 compared to 253,829 issued last year. Al-Mossa justified the drop by the organizational decisions issued by Minister Hind Al-Sabeeh concerning the assessment of companies’ need for laborers.

Al-Mossa added that according to MSAL’s decisions, laborers locally sponsored by small projects would be allowed to transfer their residency visas after working for the same sponsor for a minimum of one year, whereas those brought from outside Kuwait would be allowed to transfer to another small or medium project companies after working for the same sponsor for a minimum of three years. He said that the Authority had no intentions (at the time soon) to open - for transfer of commercial visit visas and domestic helpers’ visas to work visas.

Meanwhile, the Acting Manpower Authority Director Abdullah Al-Motoutah said that the Authority is coordinating with the Manpower and government restructuring program to inspect workers at the private sector and taking legal actions against those involved in fake employment only to get the national labor support allowances. An inspection committee including elements from the Manpower Authority, Kuwait Municipality, Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Interior Ministry had discovered 2,036 fake companies since the beginning of the year and that those companies had been sponsoring 1,128 illegal laborers and beggars.