The head of the Kuwaiti Federation of Owners of Domestic Labor Offices Khaled Al-Dakhnan spoke of the sector’s inability to compete with neighboring countries to bring in quality trained domestic workers into the country while the Ministry of Commerce is determined to stick to its decision of 890 dinars recruitment fee.
Al-Dakhnan was quoted by a local Arabic daily as saying the office owners cannot cover the cost with 890 dinars because they end up paying the cost of the worker’s flight ticket.
He added, the Federation has repeatedly pointed to the difficulty of setting a higher ceiling for recruitment in light of the current circumstances, and the competition from many Gulf and Asian countries to attract domestic workers especially from the Philippines, which constitutes 75% of the total employment in this sector.
Al-Dakhnan added the sector is currently exposed to difficult economic conditions, especially after the Corona crisis, which paralyzed the world as a result of the interruption of air traffic, stressing that if the higher ceiling for recruitment continues, it will eventually lead to many office owners resorting to close business because of their inability to continue in light of the financial burdens involved, such as rent, employee salaries, and other expenses.
The meeting touched on the fees charged by offices in the labor exporting countries, and Al-Dakhnan revealed they range between 795 and 875 dinars, and therefore the price specified by the ministry does not permit Kuwaiti offices to enter into competition with other countries.