Kuwait Regulates Rules of Domestic Helpers from Asia

The Parliament of Kuwait on June 24^th passes a new law in the interest of Asian domestic helpers working in Kuwait. There are about 600,000 domestic workers in Kuwait, where most of them are of Asian origin. The new law states that these helpers will now have 12 hour working in a day, once a week off and 20 days annual leave. Furthermore, the law also includes domestic helpers to open a bank account and helpers who agree to work extra time should be paid overtime. At least 2.4 million domestic workers are there in Kuwait and other Gulf countries. These countries had to face rage by the hands of International Rights Groups for Alleged Maltreatment of Foreign Workers, chiefly domestic helpers. So, the Asian countries who send domestic helps to Gulf countries along with the Gulf Labor ministers came to the term to have a common contract for domestic workers.

A second law was also delivered by the MPs of Kuwait that states recruitment companies should be enforced for domestic helpers to cut the cost for citizens and to resolve any issue or problem between the sponsors and helpers within the premises of these offices.

Kuwait Shifts focus from Construction, Oil to Tech Sector

First of its breakthrough tech partnership, IBM set up its wholly foreign owned operations in Kuwait. IBM is the US IT tech giant in the field of multinational technology and consulting firm. It is said that the changes made to Kuwait’s foreign investment policies are blooming significant and positive results.

IBM has also announced to make further ado into the technology services by tying up with local Kuwaiti IT industry and introduce the Cloud Computing services in the country. IBM has set up its office in Kuwait City. It focuses on providing the customers with a sales and customer service hub, research analysis, professional services and other managed services. Apart from boosting the country’s ICT industry, IBM has planned its strategy solely on IT technology, rather than just depending upon country’s oil growth. Kuwait is focussing on other sectors instead of solely depending upon its oil revenue. A non-oil growth of 5.5% is predicted by the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) for the year 2015-16 from 3.5% in 2014.

With the welcoming response of IBM in the Kuwaiti tech market, IBM sees its future in making their presence and services across the Middle Eastern market in the coming years. IBM also has in its line of operation to develop its services in cloud computing, social media, mobile services and security enhancing services.

Furthermore, United Business Group (UBG), leading IT infrastructure and management company had partnered with IBM Cloud to introduce a managed business service provider. The agreement between the two states that UBG and IBM will be offering its Kuwaiti clients with flexible hybrid cloud platform which will be using a system modelled after the OpenStack programme. In addition to this, subscription based cloud services will be given to clients by IBM cloud.

At present, many of the countries have adopted the cloud technology and have benefitted from its uses. In Kuwait, as stated by the Kuwait Financial Centre, 80% (approximately) of the Kuwait’s ICT expenditure is in telecommunications and setting up of computer hardware and software, which stores millions of data. So, by migrating towards the cloud services will reduce the dependency on hardware, thereby reducing the cost to the maximum extent.

It is to be noted that Kuwait ICT’s revenues are estimated to reach $28bn between the years 2012 and 2015, which is the third largest earnings by a GCC country. There has been seen an impacting growth margin and opportunities knocking Kuwait ICT firms by delving into a cloud based business.

1,772,035 PEOPLE WORKING IN KUWAIT. INDIANS TOP THE LIST

The total number of workers in Kuwait reached 1,772,035 reports Arab Times daily reported citing Al-Qabas Arabic news paper quoting the recent statistics released by the Central Statics Department. According to the stats, Kuwaitis constitutes 338,297 and total number of expatriate work force is 1,433,738. The report revealed that the number of working hours in the government sector per week is 37 hours for Kuwaitis and 41 hours for non-Kuwaitis, compared to 41 hours for Kuwaitis and 47 hours for non-Kuwaitis in the private sector. On the number of working days weekly, 84 percent of those employed in the government sector work for five days and 12 percent for six days; while 84 percent of the private sector employees work for six days and nine percent of them work for five days. More than 90 percent of Kuwaiti workers are in the government sector and 68 percent of the expatriate workers are in the private sector, the statistics revealed. Meanwhile, the top 10 nationalities comprising the country’s workforce include Indians on the first spot with a total number of 439,669 — 36,596 of them are women; followed by Egyptians with 406,387; Kuwaitis with 338,297; Bangladeshis with 134,830 and Pakistanis with 93,672 employees.

Citation from Kuwait Today : http://goo.gl/804xG6

Parliament approves proposed bill on domestic workers

START YOU NEW VENTURE WITH VENTURE ART

The National Assembly on Wednesday approved, in a first reading, two proposed bills on domestic workers and founding closed joint stock companies to recruit them. 

The first proposal seeks a legislation on domestic workers, since the current legislative provisions do not offer due protection of their rights, though they form a considerable quota of foreign labor in Kuwait, the parliamentary Financial and Economic Affairs Committee said in a report.

The second, it added, aims to legalize recruitment of foreign domestic workers, defining the conditions to be comprised on their contracts. 

The proposal is likely to help promote Kuwait's status with the concerned international labor organizations that have requested amending the present system, to safeguard workers' rights against certain practices.

Citation from KUWAIT NEWS AGENCY[KUNA] : http://goo.gl/NNL6rV

Qatar vows to modify labor law by early 2015

The Gulf state of Qatar, host to football’s World Cup in 2022 and under pressure to improve conditions of migrant workers, pledged on Sunday to introduce new labor legislation by early 2015.

The emirate's sponsorship law, known as "kafala," which limits the rights of movement for foreign workers, will be replaced by new legislation that is "currently under review," said a statement from the labor and social affairs ministry.

"We expect to make announcements about new legislation by early next year," it said.

CITATION : AL ARABIYA NEWS : http://goo.gl/IwyAv2

Dept Recommends Medical Certificate For Visit Visa

START YOUR BUSINESS WITH VENTURE ART

KUWAIT CITY, June 7: General Department for Residency Affairs has referred a recommendation to the concerned committee to enforce it upon expatriates intending to visit Kuwait, and all visitors are required to come along with medical fitness certificate attested by the Kuwaiti embassies in their respective countries, reports Al-Shahed daily.

The daily quoting a source added the department has gathered information that several expatriates visiting the country carry infectious diseases and the Infectious Diseases Hospital has recorded two cases of a male and a female suffering from deadly infectious diseases.

He assured the committee formed by Assistant Undersecretary for Citizenship and Travel Documents has been considering several recommendations, which include the one at hand. He also said the department will deliberate on the recommendation in the course of the month before it is circulated to all land, sea and air borders for implementation.

In other news, Ministry of Health Undersecretary Dr Khalid Al-Sahalawi said the prices of medicines will be unified in all GCC countries before this year ends, reports Al-Jarida daily. He said in a press statement to the daily that the hike in the prices of medicines in GCC countries is attributed to the high insurance cost and certain circumstances in the region. He added a Gulf meeting was held last month in Manama in the presence of officials of Medicine Sector in GCC countries and they agreed on unifying the prices of 2,850 medicines.

With reference to the criteria for unifying the prices of medicines in GCC countries, the undersecretary explained the concerned Gulf team will consider the lowest price of a medicine and apply it in all GCC states. He also stressed the importance of the role played by the Interior Ministry, Ministry of Information, General Customs Department and civil society organizations in discovering fake medicines. He added the second phase of the quality and accreditation program will be implemented in health centers and Medical Emergency Department to provide the public with services on par with international standards.

He revealed the first phase included the assessment of 14 hospitals that applied the criteria of the national program for accreditation, indicating these hospitals were assessed by local auditors in cooperation with Canada Accreditation Authority. He further emphasized that the application of such a program greatly improved the performance of medical facilities and the quality of services offered to the public

CITATION : FROM ARAB TIMES : http://goo.gl/bKU718