Shoura to Debate Fee Cut for Recruiting Domestic Helpers

JEDDAH, 27 April 2008 — The Shoura Council will discuss today an important proposal suggesting the government cuts recruitment and iqama charges for house servants to SR500 and SR100 respectively to ease financial burdens on Saudi families.

The council’s finance committee has studied the proposal made by two Shoura members, Dr. Abdullah Al-Dossari and Muhammad Al-Quwaihes. The committee observed that most Saudi families are in need of foreign servants, including maids and drivers. They also found that recruiting servants is expensive, as employees have to pay fees for visas and recruitment.

The committee said slashing charges was essential in reducing financial burden of citizens, who are already financially strapped by high prices of commodities and rent, and stock market losses. It also pointed out that increases in charges would facilitate corruption and forgery.

“The main objective of increasing recruitment charges was to reduce recruitment but the opposite is happening,” the panel said.

According to the proposal, charges for the recruitment of workers for individuals will be SR500 for the first visa, SR1,000 for the second, SR1,500 for the third, and SR2,000 for the fourth and above. This concession will only be given for the recruitment of house servants, including drivers and shepherds.

The proposed fees for issuing resident permits for these workers are SR100 for the first worker, SR200 for the second, SR300 for the third and SR500 for the fourth and onward.

The two Shoura members also called for the setting up of companies that supply workers to families on lease in accordance with their requirements.

“This will help families make use of these workers to meet their temporary requirements and cut into their expenditures,” the two Shoura members said. They also called for the need to enlighten Saudi families on the need to reduce dependence on foreign manpower.

The two members have observed that the current fees system does not differentiate between businesses and individuals. They made the proposal after comparing charges in other Gulf countries.