Around 1,000 business owners have signed a petition protesting LMRA's fees on expat employees and the phenomenon of 'free visa' workers.
The petition was drawn up by the General Union of Business Owners.
Head of the union, Nader Alawi said yesterday that the number of signatures on the petition has reached 1,000 and the petition will be submitted to the authorities after Eid.
The contractors and small business owners are demanding the cancellation of monthly BD10 fees on expat workers, increased inspection campaigns to deport absconding labourers from the kingdom, and measure to be taken to eliminate the problem of free visa workers.
Bankrupt
Speaking at a symposium held under the theme 'Anything But Our Living', a business owners stated: "LMRA is getting tired of looking into the demands of business owners while many contractors and business men have become bankrupt due to the accumulation of debt and paying taxes."
"They demanded the correction of their situation through the issuance of new decisions regulating the situation in the market for more development and the advancement of the Kingdom's economy. And they emphasised their refusal of the payment of the BD10 per month, wishing that the relevant authorities would reconsider the rules and the monthly fees. They pointed out that the training and employment of the national labour force is the responsibility of governmental institutions and not business owners."
Professor of Economics at Delmon University Isa Sayyar said during the seminar that following the launch of the LMRA there has been an increase in foreign labour and a decrease in national labour from 32 per cent to 26 per cent.
By Staff Reporter
© Bahrain Tribune 2010
