Labour fees slashed

TDT | Manama

The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) announced yesterday a 50 per cent reduction in monthly work fees, along with the issuance and renewal of work permits, for a period of three months, starting July. The LMRA also announced an exemption of work fees for economic sectors most affected by the repercussions of the coronavirus (COVID-19) for the same three-month period.

These initiatives are according to the decisions of the Council of Ministers, headed by His Royal Highness the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and under the directives of the Coordination Committee headed by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander, and First Deputy Prime Minister.

They come in support of the private sector, especially small and medium enterprises, and to maintain their sustainable growth in light of the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The LMRA emphasised that these decisions would provide the necessary liquidity to private sector institutions, as it gives them a chance to overcome economic difficulties that have arisen from the global coronavirus crisis.

The LMRA stressed that it would not hesitate to take any decisions that support the private sector and facilitate its work and ability to help overcome the crisis’ repercussions. The LMRA’s decisions add to the government’s previously announced economic initiatives aimed at mitigating the local impact of COVID-19.

They include paying 50 per cent of the salaries of insured Bahrainis in the most-affected private sector companies for three months starting July, shouldering the electricity and water bills of all Bahraini subscribers for their primary residences for the same three-month period, and the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) supporting the most-affected economic sectors.