RIYADH: Labor Minister Adel Fakieh held talks on various labor issues affecting local and foreign manpower in the Kingdom with Shoura Council members on Sunday night.
The discussions were held under the chairmanship of Shoura Council Chairman Abdullah Al-Asheikh. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Labor Minister Abdulwahid Al-Hameed, Shoura Council Deputy Chairman Bandar Al-Hajjar and its Secretary General Muhammad Al-Ghamdi.
A spokesman from the council told Arab News that the discussions were focused on various labor issues and on ways to improve regulations for local and foreign human resources.
“Topics that were taken up during the talks included reduction of visa recruitment fees and resident permit (Iqama) fees for foreign domestic aides, deployment of more Saudis in the private sector and intensifying the Saudization program by focusing on hiring more Saudi drivers for taxis in the Kingdom".
Currently, the majority of limousine drivers are expatriate workers from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sudan, Egypt and Eritrea.
In his speech, Fakieh stressed on the keenness of the Saudi government to resolve labor issues through dialogue with the Shoura Council.
“Such discussions will help the ministry overcome problems and find new solutions to promote efficiency in the performance of the Labor Ministry,” Fakieh said.
Thanking the Shoura Council for the opportunity given to participate in the discussion, the minister hoped that the deliberations would yield results to improve the country and the welfare of both local and foreign human resources.
“The presence of the labor minister during the discussions demonstrates the government’s keenness to work for the welfare of the working class in the Kingdom,” Al-Asheikh said in response to Fakieh’s speech. He added that the joint talks have given more insight into various labor issues prevailing in the Kingdom.
The Shoura Council on Monday appointed a seven-member committee to review the discussions held with Fakieh. The session, chaired by Al-Hajjar, appointed Saeed Al-Sheikh as chairman of the committee.
The house also approved a scheme submitted by the General Audit Bureau (GAB) and stressed the need for its immediate implementation to avert financial irregularities. While going through the GAB annual report, the house said considering the high cost of various projects, effective surveillance should be established to ensure a smooth flow of funds.
Members also approved a proposal to strengthen the existing partnership between the Ministry of Health and the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, involving the transfer of patients between ministry hospitals and the KFSH. Arab News
