KUWAIT CITY, Aug 5: The Department of Domestic Labor in the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) has prevented recruitment agencies from completing the procedures for new contracts for new female domestic workers from India and Nepal if there are no job order contracts signed with specialized offices in those wellknown countries, reports Al-Qabas daily. The owners of offices said, “In light of the continued suspension of the recruitment of domestic workers from the Philippines as well as the authority’s call to stop recruitment from Nepal and India for offices that do not have work contracts with offices there, the problem of recruitment of domestic workers will definitely be exacerbated.” They stressed that their procedures with the Nepalese and Indian workers are legal and legitimate, as they approve the new Indian contracts from the Indian embassy, but the problem lies in Nepal, as there are no organized agreements between Nepal and Kuwait in this regard.

In addition, Head of the Union of Domestic Labor Offices Khaled Al-Dakhnan said, “The procedures taken by the authority are legally sound, but the recruitment offices need more facilities that support their steps in providing domestic workers for citizens and residents.” Al-Dakhnan highlighted the need to expedite the signing of labor agreements with different countries, facilitate the approval of contracts, avoid suspending them in offices over others, and achieve the public interest.”

Meanwhile, an expert in domestic labor affairs Bassam Al-Shammari revealed that, “The presence of female workers from Nepal and Benin supports the domestic labor market even if there are no organized agreements between Kuwait and these two countries. There are official procedures carried out by offices in Kuwait, and there are visas issued and approved from the Ministry of Interior. There is an agreement in effect with Sri Lanka, but recruitment from it alone does not cover the local demand in light of the continued suspension of Filipino workers.

We are on the verge of the season of entering schools and increasing the need of Kuwaiti families for this type of employment, in light of the expiry of contracts concluded with hundreds of workers who entered Kuwait two years ago, and the desire of many of them to return to their countries. This will make it difficult to recruit and provide employment. The procedures of managing domestic workers in PAM impede work and increase the size of the gap in the market.” It is worth highlighting that the number of female workers arriving in the first quarter and their nationalities are as follows:-

The total number of female workers is 19,698 including: ■ 9,700 domestic workers from India ■ 6,896 domestic workers from Sri Lanka ■ 2,716 domestic workers from Nepal ■ 386 domestic workers from Benin