KUWAIT, Feb 16 (KUNA) -- First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah affirmed on Monday the urgency of overhauling Kuwait's labor laws to ensure it remains flexible and integrated with the country's economic developments.
Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef made this remark during the first dialogue session organized by the Public Authority for Manpower with business owners under the title "Success Partners".
Reforming the labor market comes through regulating the corporate sector, supporting companies, listening to their proposals, and overcoming the obstacles they may face through the best possible means especially since companies represent the organizational and legal framework of the private sector, which will be heavily relied upon in Kuwait's economy in the coming period, Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef added.
During the meeting, he a stringent warning regarding circumventing labor market regulations and registering companies in the names of citizens then leasing the license to foreigners. Highlighting the gravity of the issue, he cited a recent case where an expatriate utilized a citizen's license to facilitate money-laundering and the illicit repatriation of approximately KD 100 million (USD 327.7 million).
Furthermore, he affirmed that the state is moving forward with firm measures to regulate this file and enforce the law.
"The political leadership is unwavering in its commitment to the rule of law," Sheikh Fahad asserted, adding that citizens who circumvent regulations will face full legal accountability.
The First Deputy Prime Minister highlighted a rigorous enforcement campaign the interior ministry launched to sanitize the labor market.
Last year saw the administrative deportation of 39,000 foreign nationals for violating the residency and labor statutes and in the past period more than 3,000 licenses of non-compliant companies were cancelled, he disclosed.
He, moreover, unveiled that nine nurseries were shut down for violating regulations and illegally employing domestic workers in violation of labor laws and applicable safety procedures.
Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef called on commercial license holders to file absentee reports against violating workers to insulate themselves from liability and protect their contractual rights.
For her part, the Director General of the Public Authority for Manpower Rabab Al-Osaimi, said that 65 percent of the Authority's transactions are processed electronically, noting that 25 million transactions were completed last year.
Al-Osaimi added that the Authority is working to introduce artificial intelligence systems on its website to assist employers and respond to their inquiries, contributing to facilitating procedures and accelerating transaction processing.
She also affirmed that the Authority is also working on amending the labor law to keep pace with changes, enhance the efficiency of the legislative system, and develop the work environment.
She called on attendees to submit their proposals to the Authority for study and implementation on the ground, and to eliminate all obstacles in a way that serves the public interest. (end) hmd.ahs