09 May 2017
Panel to begin deliberations on falsifications of citizenship

KUWAIT CITY: Head of the Parliament’s Economic Committee Sa’ad Al-Khanfour announced that the cost for hiring domestic workers will be about KD 400 after the domestic labor recruitment company will officially launch operations on September 1, affirming that the building specified for the company is ready.

He explained that the company will be responsible for hiring domestic workers and completing all relevant legal and medical checkup procedures. The domestic workers will not be delivered to the citizens before all these procedures are completed. Services related to immigration, medical checkup and the criminal investigation will be available in the building of the company. Al-Khanfour revealed that the company is not expecting to make more than 10 percent profit.

Meanwhile, economic researcher Mohammad Ramadan prepared a study related to the advantages and disadvantages of having a state company for recruitment of domestic workers.

As per his study, the total cost will eventually increase from 424 fils per hour to 600 fils per hour. If the law is enforced perfectly, the total cost will increase especially when considering the specified conditions of 12 working hours per day with breaks, one day off per week, one month annual vacation with full salary, and indemnity that is equivalent to one-month salary per year of service.

Revealed
The study revealed that domestic workers currently work about 16 hours per day without weekly off, or paid annual vacation or indemnity. Ramadan said, “Even though the initial cost has been reduced from KD 1,500 to KD 650, these conditions in the law will in the end lead to increased costs”, adding that international organizations will follow-up the enforcement of law No. 68/2015 to ensure actions that violate human rights are brought to an end.

Meanwhile, Rapporteur of the parliament’s Interior and Defense Committee MP Nasser Al-Dousari revealed that the committee next week will begin deliberations on falsifications of citizenship, as mandated by the National Assembly that the committee should investigate ambiguities surrounding the file, reports Al-Rai daily. MP Al-Dousari said the committee will invite concerned officials from the Citizenship and Travel Documents Department, affirming that the department, based on the Constitution, will not reveal the names of suspects in the citizenship falsification cases who were referred for prosecution. He indicated that the committee has enough time to conclude the assignment during the current parliamentary term.

Al-Dousari stressed that the investigations will cover several citizens, as the numbers of those involved rose unbelievably high within the last five years, insisting that the investigation is necessary for clarifications. He assured that the committee will do a thorough job to ascertain the status of the suspects in that case, affirming that the investigation will reveal the actual number of forgers.

© Arab Times 2017