Assembly panel seeks ban on new expat recruitment

Kuwaitization, quotas, residence curbs eyed • MP warns finance minister

KUWAIT: Head of the Assembly’s human resource development committee MP Khalil Al-Saleh said yesterday the panel will propose a ban on new recruitment of expat labor into the country during a meeting with the government this week. Saleh said on Twitter that resolving issues related to expatriate manpower and the imbalance in the demographic structure requires “draining” the sources of visa trading and a “ban on the recruitment of new expat labor”.

It also requires Kuwaitization of jobs, imposing certain quotas on expat communities and limiting the duration of residence of expats, he said. The lawmaker said these issues will be raised during a meeting with the government later this week, adding that resolving the imbalance in the population structure requires strong decisions that are implemented. He said the crisis has snowballed and now poses security, economic, social and health risks to the society of Kuwait.

HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah said last week that expats form 70 percent of the population against 30 percent of Kuwaitis and that the ideal composition is by reversing the percentage to be 70 percent for citizens against 30 percent for expats. Achieving the premier’s vision requires getting rid of at least 2.5 million expats from their existing number of 3.35 million.

MPs have already submitted legislation calling to impose quotas of foreign communities and to replace all expat jobs in the government within one year. The two bills have not yet been debated by Assembly panels. Meanwhile, MP Riyadh AlAdasani yesterday warned Finance Minister

Mohammad Al-Sheetan against reducing government subsidies or raising public charges as he prepares to grill him next week. Adasani on Thursday filed to grill the minister, appointed just a few months ago, on a number of counts including pushing to approve a government bill to borrow KD 20 billion and failure to follow up alleged kickbacks in Kuwait Airways deals, in addition to alleged losses in foreign investments.

The grilling also charges that the minister failed to take sufficient action against alleged involvement in the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund scandal and suspicion of money laundering. Adasani called on the finance minister not to resign and to face the grilling, due to be debated next week, adding he will explain that the government action to send the Malaysian fund issue to the public prosecution was insufficient.

The lawmaker also urged the prime minister to freeze the authorities of the finance minister until the grilling has been debated. Adasani said attempts by the minister to increase the cost of public services or privatize them are totally rejected, adding that the minister submitted the KD 20 billion debt law before looking into alternatives.