Cairo: Kuwait’s authorities are poised to implement a new “more realistic” policy to regulate the labour market and bolster a government keenness to redress a demographic imbalance in the country, according to a Kuwaiti newspaper.
The new policy includes sealing well-studied manpower agreements with several countries, Al Qabas added, quoting unidentified sources.
Last week, officials at the government Public Authority of Manpower (PAM) held talks with ambassadors of Bangladesh, Mali and Sri Lanka on partnerships including the employment of specialised and experienced labour from their countries.
“PAM continues to activate partnerships with the friendly countries and carry out cooperation with all diplomatic missions and representatives concerned with labour affairs as well as looking into mechanisms that contribute to fulfilment of Kuwait’s labour directives,” they added.
In his meetings with the ambassadors, PAM’s acting director-general Mubarak Al Jafour underlined the importance of employing overseas workers based on Kuwait’s needs and required expertise.
As part of efforts to regulate the labour market, Kuwait’s envisaged employment policy is based on bolstering employment of its nationals, recruiting foreign experienced manpower according to local needs, diversifying a mechanism to bring in new domestic workers and launching daily raids on illegal workers, Al Qabas said.
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 economic repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic.
