Government plans to employ 10,000 citizens by 2021
CSC asks finance to cancel 3,108 expat jobs
KUWAIT CITY, Jan 21: The government has a plan to employ 10,000 citizens in the coming three years until 2021. This plan will be implemented in three stages, reports AlAnba daily quoting official sources.
They explained that the plan aims at providing jobs to all citizens who are registered in the central employment system. The plan has two main pivotal aspects. First is to create new jobs through implementation of new projects. Second is to fill the vacancies resulting from the Kuwaitization policy adopted by the state.
This plan was prepared following a meeting among senior officials representing all relevant state institutions such as Civil Service Commission (CSC), Public Authority for Manpower, Supreme Council for Planning, and the oil sector.
According to CSC, Kuwaitization of jobs in state institutions and ministries reached 90 percent except for Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs where it is currently difficult to apply the Kuwaitization policy.
The implementation of the plan will require completion of five procedures. First is to terminate the services of expatriates completely. Second is to provide grace periods for majority of the expatriate employees before ending their contracts. Third is to take into consideration the demography factor in the employment indicators. Fourth is to provide extra allowances and benefits to field workers and technical employees. Fifth is to seek the help of experienced expatriates of rare specializations.
The sources affirmed that the plan aims to reform the educational outputs in a way to meet the demands of the labor market especially the state institutions.
They stressed the need to organize exhibitions where state institutions can prime students from their first year at Kuwait University to ensure the student, after finishing his studies, can find a job in a particular state institution that is ready to receive him.
The sources indicated that the plan includes allotting conditions for high-level jobs such as non-renewal of term for leading officials such as undersecretary after completing eight years of service in that position, with the aim of giving way for youths, adding that the maximum period for an assistant undersecretary to serve in that position is 12 years.
Meanwhile, a joint committee consisting of representatives from the ministries of Interior, Awqaf and Social Affairs intends to launch a campaign aimed at arresting those who collect donations without a permit – whether in camps, stables, mosques or through social networking sites, WhatsApp and telephone, reports AlQabas daily quoting sources.
Sources revealed the concerned ministries received many complaints about illegal collectors of donations, indicating these people have innovated ways in luring possible donors. Sources added the concerned authorities will launch an awareness campaign to arrest whoever violates regulations on the collection of donations and stop unlicensed collection of donations.
Sources warned the unlicensed collection of donations may lead to financing unlawful projects, stressing the need for donation collectors to present their identification cards to prove that they belong to authorized bodies.
Furthermore, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has asked the Ministry of Finance to cancel 3,108 governmental jobs occupied by expatriates within fiscal 2018/2019 to replace them with citizens registered in the employment system, reports Al-Rai daily quoting a reliable source.
The source explained this step was taken in a bid to achieve the targeted percentage of Kuwaiti staff after five years of implementing CSC decision number 11/2017.
The source pointed out that the commission has laid down a clear plan to link the actual manpower needs of governmental authorities in certain specializations with the mechanism for sending employees to study on scholarship or in approving leave applications.
The source added the CSC is carrying out the strategic vision of the State on the Kuwaitization of jobs, including institutions experiencing deficiencies like the ministries of Health and Education.
Some of the guests who attended the event
Left and right: Prof Hilal Al-Sayer distributing certificates to graduates while Dr Qais Al-Duwairi looks on.