Kuwait amends fee for domestic labour recruitment

Cairo: Kuwait has amended fees for recruiting new domestic workers from abroad as the country seeks to end a shortage in this category of manpower.

Kuwaiti Minister of Commerce, Industry Fahad Al Shuraian, who is also the Minister of Social Affairs and Community Development, has issued a decree modifying the recruitment fees exclusive of travel ticket prices, Al Anba newspaper has reported.

According to the ministerial decree, a contract for a domestic worker recruited from the Philippines is set at KD850 ($2,771) and at KD700 per worker from India and Sri Lanka, the paper added. Contract value for domestic labour from African countries is set at KD500 per worker, the report said.

Violators of the fee cap stipulated in the decree will be punished. The decree will be considered six months after issuance, according to the paper that carried a copy of the decree.

Kuwait is suffering from an acute of domestic workers as a result of travel and recruitment restrictions prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The curbs have recently been largely relaxed amid government efforts to expand potential labour-exporting markets.