JEDDAH — The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) has reaffirmed that the proposed amendments to the Labor Law are merely suggestions that have not been approved finally. The ministry clarified that it will make an official announcement in the event of final approval to any amendment in the Labor Law. These proposed amendments have been shared with all entities and individuals, seeking their viewpoints and suggestions with regard to their appropriateness. In response to a report that appeared in Okaz newspaper on March 27, the ministry clarified that what was published were the proposed amendments that were shared through the public consultation platform Istitlaa in January 2021. This is to ensure the participation of all concerned entities as well as individuals in the survey, expressing their opinions and viewpoints on the suitability of these amendments. The ministry emphasized that these are proposals in their entirety, and they would not come into force until after they are approved in accordance with the prescribed procedures. The ministry stated that it had earlier submitted a number of proposals with regard to amending a number of provisions in the Labor Law as well as the previous decisions of the ministry through the Istitlaa platform, seeking feedback from the stakeholders. This was within the principle of transparency that the wise leadership and government agencies have adopted in order to ensure the involvement of the public in the decision-making process. Istitlaa is a unified electronic platform, which is affiliated with the National Competitiveness Center. The platform aims to enable the public and the government entities to give their feedback on draft laws related to economic and development affairs before they are approved, contributing to a safe and stable business environment. No fees are charged from the public or government entities for sending their feedback through the platform.
