Latest news with #MuneerSeroor
Daily Tribune
30-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Tribune
MPs approve ‘Bahrainising' medicine delivery jobs
Parliament has backed an urgent proposal to require companies delivering medicines to homes to employ only Bahraini nationals. New contracts signed with the Ministry of Health will have to include a clause enforcing the change. Under the proposal, the government, through the Ministry of Health, must ensure that private firms providing home delivery services replace their expatriate drivers with trained Bahrainis. The move is intended to raise the quality of service and open a direct path to employment for citizens. The plan was brought forward by Dr Muneer Seroor and four other MPs. Foreign workers Speaking during yesterday's session, Dr Seroor said foreign workers made up the bulk of those delivering medicines. He said the nature of the service, which involves entering people's homes, called for greater care in who was employed. "The delivery of medicines into people's homes demands workers who understand local customs and traditions," Dr Seroor told MPs. "This is a profession that does not require specialised qualifications. With simple training, our citizens can take on this role, making it a direct and practical solution to unemployment." Dr Seroor praised the Ministry of Health for offering a much-needed service to the elderly and patients with longterm illnesses. Gap However, he said that relying heavily on expatriate labour left a gap that could, and should, be filled by Bahrainis. He added that the change would help rebuild public trust in home services, as well as create jobs in towns and villages where opportunities were often scarcer. It would also support the government's effort to bring more Bahrainis into important service roles.
Gulf Insider
24-04-2025
- Business
- Gulf Insider
Thumbs Up For 50% Bahrainisation In Privatised Projects
Lawmakers have passed a new rule forcing companies that take over state services to hire Bahrainis for at least half the jobs, in an attempt to curb the dominance of expat workers in privatised sectors. The proposed amendment requires any firm contracting with the government under a privatisation deal to ensure that no less than fifty per cent of its staff are Bahraini. The proposal was submitted by MPs Dr Muneer Seroor, Mohammed Salman Al Ahmed and Lulwa Al Romaihi. It cleared the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee without objection before being sent to the full chamber, which approved it yesterday. Sectors The rule applies across a swathe of sectors including transport, energy, water, tourism, telecoms, ports, post and oil services, where government assets or responsibilities have been handed over to private firms. Al Romaihi, speaking in the chamber, said the change was meant to reduce the side effects of privatisation. 'Privatisation may deliver economic returns, but it often comes with higher costs for the public,' she said. 'A fifty per cent Bahrainisation requirement offers some measure of security for those who might otherwise be shut out.' Closer watch She added that the state must keep a closer watch on the companies it contracts to make sure they meet the terms of the law. Also read: Gold And Oil Scam Cons Victims Out Of BD97,000
Daily Tribune
23-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Thumbs up for 50% Bahrainisation in privatised projects
Lawmakers have passed a new rule forcing companies that take over state services to hire Bahrainis for at least half the jobs, in an attempt to curb the dominance of expat workers in privatised sectors. The proposed amendment requires any firm contracting with the government under a privatisation deal to ensure that no less than fifty per cent of its staff are Bahraini. The proposal was submitted by MPs Dr Muneer Seroor, Mohammed Salman Al Ahmed and Lulwa Al Romaihi. It cleared the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee without objection before being sent to the full chamber, which approved it yesterday. Sectors The rule applies across a swathe of sectors including transport, energy, water, tourism, telecoms, ports, post and oil services, where government assets or responsibilities have been handed over to private firms. Al Romaihi, speaking in the chamber, said the change was meant to reduce the side effects of privatisation. 'Privatisation may deliver economic returns, but it often comes with higher costs for the public,' she said. 'A fifty per cent Bahrainisation requirement offers some measure of security for those who might otherwise be shut out.' She added that the state must keep a closer watch on the companies it contracts to make sure they meet the terms of the law.
Daily Tribune
19-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Draft law demands half of privatised roles for Bahrainis
Half of all jobs in privatised state projects should go to Bahrainis under a draft law set for debate in Parliament on Tuesday. The proposal would make it mandatory for contractors hired under government privatisation deals to employ at least 50% Bahraini staff. Put forward by MPs Dr Muneer Seroor, Mohammed Al Ahmed, and Lulwa Al Romaihi, the bill has already been approved by Parliament's Financial and Economic Affairs Committee. It applies across sectors where state control or operations are transferred to the private sector, including tourism, telecoms, transport, ports, power, oil and gas, and postal services. Dr Seroor argued the move was essential to ensure locals benefit from projects that originated in the public domain. 'It's not right for government-run projects to end up in private hands with no guarantees for our people,' he said. 'Job creation for Bahrainis must be a core outcome—not an afterthought.' The draft reads: 'A Bahrainisation quota of no less than fifty per cent must be imposed on any contractor engaged by the government under a privatisation contract.' Supporters say the law addresses a growing disconnect between jobseekers and available positions, particularly as public sector hiring slows. Though no longer state-run, privatised services are often funded through public money and should reflect that in local employment, they argue. The bill has two articles: the first lays out the Bahrainisation requirement, and the second calls for its immediate implementation once published in the Official Gazette.
Gulf Insider
24-03-2025
- Business
- Gulf Insider
MPs Push to Replace Expats with Bahrainis in Low-Skilled Jobs
MPs push to replace expats with Bahrainis in low-skilled jobs within five years • BCCI warns rigid phase-out deadline will risk unsettling Kingdom's job market • Union federations argue proposal will end worsening joblessness woes among locals A plan to phase out expatriates from low-skilled jobs and replace them with Bahrainis within five years will go before Parliament on Tuesday. MPs behind the proposal, along with trade unions, argue it is a long-overdue step to give locals a fairer share of the job market. Disarray The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), however, warns it risks throwing the labour market into disarray. MPs Lulwah Al Rumaihi and Muneer Seroor have called for the government to log all jobs in both public and private sectors that do not require a university degree and to ensure that where a Bahraini is available, they take priority over an expatriate worker. 'The government must take stock of all jobs held by expatriates that do not require university degrees and set a plan to replace them with Bahrainis where possible within five years,' said Al Rumaihi. Policy The Civil Service Bureau, which oversees recruitment in government roles, confirmed that its standing policy is to hire Bahraini candidates first. Only if no qualified local is available does an expatriate get the role, and even then, contracts are not renewed unless the shortage persists. The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) responded that the matter falls outside its legal jurisdiction. Proposal Acting Labour Minister and LMRA chairman, His Excellency Yousif Khalaf, said the proposal focuses on employment and replacement planning across both sectors — issues that lie beyond the authority's remit. He explained that the LMRA's role is limited to regulating work permits, recruitment agencies, and compliance monitoring. The BCCI has warned that the proposal could do more harm than good. 'It said a roadmap for job creation had already been drawn up with input from the government, Parliament, and the Shura Council. A rigid five-year deadline, it argued, risks unsettling the job market.' 'Long-term planning is what's needed, not rushed fixes,' the Chamber said. Struggle The Chamber also warned that some sectors — particularly those reliant on low-wage workers — may struggle to attract enough Bahrainis to fill these roles. The General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions has welcomed the plan, saying that expatriates have crowded out Bahrainis in non-specialised roles for too long, worsening joblessness among locals. It has urged the government to introduce quotas, penalise companies that fail to hire Bahrainis, and deny licences to businesses that do not meet localisation targets. Concerns The Bahrain Free Labour Unions Federation has echoed these concerns, arguing that the plan would help prevent the sidelining of Bahraini workers. The proposal has the backing of Parliament's joint committee on legislative and legal affairs and services, chaired by MP Jalila Alawi Sayed Hassan. The committee has urged MPs to vote in favour, describing the five-year phase-out as a reasonable step towards adjusting the balance in the job market. Also Read: Vet Acquitted After Unknowingly Submitting Fake Import Permit
