KUWAIT CITY, Aug 21: A report on the study conducted by the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) regarding the empowerment of Kuwaiti youth in the private sector, following discussions with the labor unions of the private sector, is expected to be released later this year. Informed sources said His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah is committed to integrating Kuwaiti youth into the private sector as a complement to government employment, which reflects His Highness’s vision.

This effort aligns with the state’s policy to eliminate the phenomenon of disguised unemployment and address the anticipated deficit in the future budget by controlling the salaries item so that a high percentage of revenues are not used for it. They stated that the prominent aspects of this study include increasing the penalty from KD 100 to KD 300 for companies that do not adhere to the Kuwaitization rates, as well as increasing the Kuwaitization rate to 50 percent in some sectors, especially the oil sector, and about 30 percent in other sectors.

The sources explained that the study suggests imposing strict penalties on private companies that terminate the services of national workers without justification, such as suspending the files of these companies. It aims to address the disparity in job benefits, including salaries, between public and private sector workers, so that there is no gap between the salary of a government employee and their counterpart in the private sector.

The Public Authority for Manpower is working with all relevant parties to preserve the rights of national workers in the private sector so that this sector will attract Kuwaitis rather than repel them. It is worth highlighting that the latest statistics of the Public Authority for Civil Information revealed that the number of Kuwaiti workers in the government sector reached about 404,900 as of mid of this year, compared to 397,500 at the end of 2023. On the other hand, the number of Kuwaiti employees in the private sector reached about 72,800 by the end of June 2024

By Najeh Bilal
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff