Kuwait Times, Thursday, Apr 20, 2023 | Ramadan 29, 1444
Govt tries to remedy population structure
Kuwait :
Official government sources said the government
will start discussing several decisions to remedy the population structure after
the Eid al-Fitr holiday and then send them to authorities to start implementing
them immediately. They said the government is implementing legislation to remedy
the population structure that was issued by the parliament earlier. It agreed on
serious steps that guarantees the reduction of expatriate numbers to 30 percent,
while Kuwaitis will be 70 percent of the population, contrary to the current
situation, as expatriates form the majority of the population.
Sources said the government will approve the comprehensive national development
plan that details the need for expat labor and programs that organize
professional qualifications mentioned in this plan and sets certain ceilings on
the number of expats. Sources said the government will set the policies and
various plans for government entities with regards to the replacement of expat
labor by Kuwaitis and improve programs of the Public Authority for Applied
Education and Training to affirm the replacement policies.
Sources said government discussions include implementation procedures to adopt
means of prevention and treatment of diseases and epidemics in the health system
for labor coming from abroad, as well as setting the policies of banning the
transfer of expat workers between various sectors.
They said the government’s decisions will focus on the relative weight of each
community as well as the relative weight of the number of expats in general, but
the decisions will exclude GCC citizens, Kuwaitis’ foreign spouses and their
children, heads and members of diplomatic missions in Kuwait and their families
and employees on condition of reciprocity. Military missions of countries Kuwait
has security treaties with and workers assisting them and aviation operators are
also excluded.
Labor that is brought from abroad and working on infrastructure projects or
other economic development projects are also excluded until the project is
handed over to the concerned entity. Also excluded are domestic helpers, medical
and educational professions and any other category for whom a decision is issued
by the Cabinet based on the concerned minister’s recommendation.
Sources said the government will caution government entities not to approve the
transfer of domestic helpers to the private sector under any circumstances, or
transfer visit visas to work permits or family visas. Renewal of the residencies
of laborers brought on government contracts is also not allowed after the
project is completed and there is no need for them in another government
project.