Kuwait mulls lucrative perks for private sector

Step aims to lure citizens away from government jobs

Kuwait’s labour authorities are looking into the possible approval of perks ensuring equality between citizens in private sector jobs and their compatriots working for the government in a step aimed to lure Kuwaitis to the private sector, a local newspaper has reported.

A main objective of the Kuwaiti Public Authority of Manpower (PAM) for the next year is to establish perks equality for Kuwaitis working in both sectors in a bid to boost employment of citizens, Al Jarida added. “PAM is seeking to fulfil job safety for citizens working in the private sector,” the paper quoted PAM sources as saying. “The next period will witness studying some proposals whereby the government seeks to make the private sector attractive to citizens,” they added without elaborating.

‘Kuwaitisation’

In recent years, Kuwait has stepped up efforts to create jobs for its citizens and replace foreign employees as part of an employment policy dubbed “Kuwaitisation”.

Foreigners make up nearly 3.4 million of Kuwait’s overall population of 4.6 million.

In recent months, there have been increasing calls in Kuwait for curbing foreigners’ employment along accusations that migrant workers have strained the country’s infrastructure facilities amid Covid-19 repercussions.