Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, has instructed authorities to take measures to open recruitment of expat workers from new countries, according to a report by Kuwait Times.
The workers must be from countries other than those with large communities in Kuwait, to address labor shortages in certain fields and diversify labour sources.
According to the Public Authority of Manpower (PAM), the instructions include coordinating with the foreign ministry to sign memorandam of understanding with new labour-exporting countries.
Kuwait faces ‘demographic imbalance problem’
The move is part of the state’s efforts to address the “demographic imbalance problem,” the report said, and meet the labour market’s needs.
The Philippine delegation is expected to arrive late May to discuss matters related to sending specialised labor to Kuwait.
PAM will coordinate with concerned authorities to take necessary procedures as bringing workers from the Philippines will likely resume after the discussions.
The delegation will reportedly request eight hours of work daily and one day of rest weekly for domestic workers, and overtime pay if work exceeds this limit.
Meanwhile, the Central Agency for Public Tenders has approved the health ministry’s request to award three tenders to provide medical support services to all governorates at a cost of KD 57.1 million ($187 million approximately).
The contracts will provide nurses to health centers in Hawally, Sabah, Capital, Jahra, Farwaniya, Mubarak Al-Kabeer, and Ahmadi.
Sources have revealed that the ministry is in the process of receiving new batches of Indian, Bangladeshi, and Filipino nurses to appoint them in health centers that will be opened in new areas, as well as fill any shortages in existing hospitals and centers.
These measures are expected to ease the burden on the healthcare system, which has been under severe strain due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The move is also likely to help alleviate the country’s high unemployment rate and address labor shortages in key sectors.
Source: Arabian Business
BDST: 2041 HRS, MAY 07, 2023
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