In light of the Cabinet’s endeavor to address the labor market imbalances in the private sector and tap non-oil sources to increase the revenues of State Treasury the Secretariat-General of the Council of Ministers has mandated the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) to update the work permit system for expatriates.
Al-Qabas has learned from informed sources that PAM is given the green light to increase work permit fees, and review all other fees collected by the authority with a view to raising them during the second and third quarters of 2022, including fees for foreign workers’ visas, and amending the work permit system to eliminate the visa trade and marginal workers that do not provide added value to the local economy.
PAM has been given the mandate to do the following:
1 – Adopt a system of lump-sum employment quotas in each sector or economic activity for expatriate and national workers.
2- Determine the percentage of national labor replacement in the private sector from the beginning of 2022 to begin with 5% and reach 20% until the end of 2025.
3- Raise the efficiency of the national workforce in the private labor market by localizing skills while attracting the workforce in specialized jobs.
4- Provide programs to attract and settle skilled foreign workers.
5- Identify and support the most active and developing sectors, such as the digital, cyber, and innovation sectors.
6 – Conduct a reference study on the incentive structure that simulates the experience of the Gulf Cooperation Council and other developed countries to attract highly skilled foreign workers.
7 – Design a targeted incentive plan to attract national workers and amending it periodically to ensure that they are attracted to work in the private sector.
8 – Develop a communication plan to inform highly skilled expatriate workers of possible incentives to attract them to the labor market in Kuwait.