By soman baby

THE Bahrainisation target at major construction companies employing more than 500 workers has been reduced from eight to five per cent, it was announced yesterday.

The decision has been taken by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) board following appeals made by the construction sector, said LMRA chief executive Ali Radhi.

Companies employing less than 500 people should continue maintaining eight per cent Bahrainisation, he told the GDN.

“Major construction companies have pointed out the difficulty in finding qualified Bahraini construction workers,” said Mr Radhi.

“At 5pc Bahrainisation, these companies will still be employing a good number of Bahrainis.

“The genuine request from major companies was presented to the LMRA board, which took a decision to reduce the Bahrainisation percentage.”

Mr Radhi said different Bahrainisation targets have been fixed for different sectors, depending on the nature of their activities.

“We shall review the targets set for some other sectors if there are genuine problems,” he added.

“We also hold regular talks with the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry to understand the difficulties , if any, faced by the industry.

“The final decision, however, will be taken only by the LMRA board.”

Mr Radhi said a large number of companies have appreciated the fast processing of documents regarding work visas.

“We process the papers of only those companies which meet the Bahrainisation target,” he said.

“This system helps companies as they know that the processing is easy when the targets are met.

“Those companies whose papers are rejected due to the Bahrainisation factor can approach the Labour Ministry and give an assurance letter to meet the target within a certain period.

“The ministry then updates the record in our system and based on the promise we process their papers,” he said.