Bill seeks to hike expatriate fees every 1.5 years
The bill also includes the removal of the 100,000 limit that the law currently sets as the maximum number of foreigners that can be brought in from a single cou
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By
Mohamed Muzayyin Nazim
The government on Wednesday proposed an amendment to the Employment Act to increase the monthly work permit fee and annual quota fee payable by foreign workers everyone and a half year.
The first reading of the bill moved by Kulhudhuffushi MP Mohamed Dawoodh on behalf of the government was heard in Parliament on Wednesday.
The current amount of work permit fee and quota fee is determined directly by the Employment Act. It is:
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MVR 350 per month as work permit fee
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MVR 2,000 per annum as quota fee
Member Dawoodh moved an amendment to change the fee every 18 months at most by a regulation made under the law. The amendment states:
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That both fees may be reviewed and modified at least once every three years or for a maximum period of not less than one and a half years (18 months)
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The fee fixed after revision shall not exceed 30% of the prescribed fee at that time
As a result, the current work permit fee can be hiked from MVR 350 to MVR 455 for the first time. There is also the possibility of the quota fee rising from MVR 2,000 to MVR 2,600.
The bill also includes the removal of the 100,000 limit that the law currently sets as the maximum number of foreigners that can be brought in from a single country.
The bill also provides for heavy fines if employers neglect foreign workers.
