RIYADH – If the private sector borrows Saudi employees working in the government sector and universities it will be calculated in the Nitaqat Saudization program. Minister of Labor and Social Development Mofrej Al-Haqbani has approved this, according to Dr. Ahmad Qattan, undersecretary for labor policies at the ministry. It has been specified that the private sector can borrow the employees for full time job and on the basis of a labor contract, the Saudi Press Agency reported. "Borrowing of one Saudi employee from the government sector or university by the private sector will be calculated as one Saudi under the Nitaqat program. The ministry, in cooperation with the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI), has launched an integrated electronic system to include such Saudi staff under the Nitaqat program," he said. According to Qattan, the private sector employers can fill up online application in this regard after visiting the GOSI website. The private employer has to furnish all required details so that GOSI can verify the identity of the said employee from the Civil Service System which is linked to the National Information Center and gave temporary approval. The application form should also contain all details such as the name of the employee, his department, his ID number and number at the Ministry of Labor, date of contract, dates of starting and ending of borrowing, and copy of work contract. The ministry published on May 5 a draft decision in this regard on its electronic gate (www.ma3an.gov.sa) so that Saudis and foreigners can present their suggestions and proposals before its formal approval, Qattan said while noting that the decision is part of a series of measures being taken by the ministry to address the challenges in the labor market and provide incentives to the private sector with regard to implementation of Nitaqat program.
