BD200 million allocated to empower Bahraini workers

TDT | Manama     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Council of Representatives unanimously approved an edict to provide partial funding for The Train and Place Programme by a sum of BD200 million after exhaustive deliberations yesterday.

This initiative, operated by The Labour Fund (Tamkeen), aims to facilitate the integration of Bahraini nationals into the labour market. In an effort to elevate the minimum wage across various sectors of society, the scheme was designated urgent, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the living standards of Bahrainis.

This endeavour is expected to expedite crucial programmes aimed at improving the skills of Bahraini jobseekers, aligning them with the requirements of the labour market and subsequently increasing their productivity, creating in turn more job opportunities for Bahraini jobseekers.

The scheme has been nodded by both the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) and the Bahrain Free Labour Unions Federation, signalling their approval and support. A sum of BD129 million is expected to allocated for 13,000 Bahraini employees.

As for private institutions set to promote its employees, the scheme will fully cover the intended increment for employees earning below BD1,500 per month over a period of 24 months.

Collaborative effort

“The edict before us is a result of collaborative effort between the legislative and executive branches, arising from their discussions on the state budget.

The focus of these deliberations was to prioritise the private sector, particularly in light of the recent salary raise granted to the public sector,” MP Ahmed Salloom said. “It is crucial to bear in mind the significance of judiciously utilising the allocated funds for the Unemployment Insurance System.

However, it is equally important to recognise that this initiative aligns with the core objectives for which the Unemployment Insurance System was originally established,” MP Salloom added. “We strive as legislators to enhance the appeal of the private sector to Bahraini youth and foster a smooth integration of their work with the public sector.

This objective becomes even more pertinent in light of the increasing delegation of tasks to technology,” MP Jalal Kadhem stressed. According to official statistics provided by the Ministry of Labour, the number of jobseekers in Bahrain stands at 16,856 with a minimum wage for private sector employees at BD500 for college graduates, BD430 for Diploma holders, and BD350 for Secondary School graduates and below averaging at BD826.

“The recent package of subsidies handles the issue from the top, as demonstrated by the remarkable success of the On-The-Job Training Service (Furas), which has achieved a record high employment rate of 65%,” said the Minister of Labour, His Excellency Jameel Humaidan.

“As we celebrated Bahraini Youth Day yesterday, it is essential to cement this celebration by providing our youngsters with genuine employment opportunities. By doing so, we enable them to discover their true potential, lead dignified lives, and ensure their valuable contributions to the development of our nation,” said MP Eman Showaiter.