BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Following the recent announcement on several policies of the Labour Department for recruitment of foreign workers by the Minister of Home Affairs, the Ministry has provided further clarification on the new polices, Brudirect reported.
Implementation of the new policies will be made in stages commencing on June 30. The policies encompass freezing of jobs; withdrawal of unused quotas; reduction of quota licences when renewing licences; limiting the number of new licences for conventional restaurants and the policy on Levy.
The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Dato Paduka Awg Hj Abd Majid Mangarshah, then clarified on the policies during a Media Conference yesterday.
Dato Paduka Awg Hj Abd Majid said that the policies announced by the Minister of Home Affairs are first; to freeze issuance of work permit or licence for recruitment of foreign workers to business sectors that do not need foreign workers; secondly, reducing the number of work permit or licences for recruitment of foreign workers when the time for renewal of permit or licence comes; thirdly, limiting issuance of new miscellaneous licences and other branch-out licences except for businesses hiring local citizens; the fourth is limiting new licences for conventional restaurants such as coffee shops and such eateries; the fifth – is not issuing business licences for village residential areas unless they are run fully by locals; and the sixth is pertaining to levy for recruiting foreign workers.
At the same Media Conference, the Acting Commissioner of Labour, Hj Rani Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Hj Md Yusof explained the policy concerning the Levy for recruitment of foreign labour. He said that levy will be imposed on ninety posts in five sectors already designated to be imposes levy.
There are sixteen posts in the wholesale and retail business sector; twenty eight posts in the transportation sector; thirty four in Hotel and restaurants; eight posts in the Support Services; and four in the ICT Sector, all together ninety posts.