The Insurance Regulatory Unit (IRU) has finally put an end to the woes of non-graduate expatriates who are 60 years and above by issuing a decision according to which the insurance fee is set at 500 dinars in addition to 250 dinars to renew the work permit.
However, the decision forbids companies to buy collective insurance for their employees who fall in this category, which means an individual document will be issued for each person insured and the validity will be commensurate with the duration of the work permit, reports Al-Qabas daily.
Speaking of the mode of payment, the IRU said only electronic payments, bank transfers, or checks will be accepted thus ruling out any payment in cash. Each person who is insured will be issued a card similar to ‘Afiya’ which will contain all data of the individual, policy data, and the name of the company issuing the policy.
The insurance unit, with this decision, has finally put at rest the issue of ‘60s expatriates’ who do not have higher qualifications although the practical application may require some time until the issued and the companies’ systems are linked with PAM.
Meanwhile, the Insurance Regulatory Unit has canceled its earlier decision according to which only companies listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange could issue the insurance policy to non-graduate expatriates who are 60 years and above by opening the field to cover all Kuwaiti insurance companies, with the exception of those who have failed to honor court verdicts issued against them.
After marathon meetings, the Higher Committee of the Insurance Unit resolved the crisis. However, the insurance company must be a Kuwaiti shareholding company and must meet all conditions, must be licensed by the insurance unit, and have the ability to manage health claims or to be contracted with one of the insurance claims management companies.
The IRU will later issue the list of companies approved by it, which includes companies that meet the conditions stipulated in the resolution which are entrusted with the issuance of insurance policies for the ‘60s expatriates’.
Meanwhile, the Al-Jarida daily quoting the Public Authority for Manpower said six steps must be adhered to while renewing a work permit for this category of expatriates:
1 – Visit PAM’s official website for the Manpower Authority
2 – Entering the ‘Easy’ system in the companies section
3 – Entering the ‘Labor Services’ menu
4 – Enter the “work permit renewal service” and fill out the required data in the form complete with attachments, along with a comprehensive health insurance document.
5 – The request then is automatically transferred to the relevant labor departments for review and audit
6 – After the application is accepted, company representatives can pay the prescribed fees in accordance with Resolution No. ‘34’, after which the application is automatically approved.
