The Shoura Council is scheduled to discuss next Monday a proposal to establish special recruitment companies for housemaids, which will be able to provide citizens with helpers on a temporary basis. The proposal has been made by the Council's Financial Affairs Committee. The Financial Affairs Committee has stated that it is impractical to reduce visa and Iqama fees for house helpers. This comes in the wake of a number of local companies call for a cut in fees. The Financial Affairs Committee supported the proposal for the establishment of companies that will compete in the recruitment of house helpers. The committee recommended that the companies be tasked with housing, transportation and to organize their employment by citizens on a temporary basis and at low prices. The committee stated that the minister of labor has submitted regulations regarding these recruitment companies to the Council of Ministers for its approval. These companies will recruit house helpers and hire their services to citizens per hour or per month. It said this will be according to certain conditions and arrangements. However, the companies will bear the costs of recruitment and Iqama fees. The recommendation to create these companies comes from council members Muhammad Al-Quwaihiss and Dr. Abdullah Al-Dowsari. The committee also indicated that the Ministry of Labor has exempted people who are disabled – who need the services of house helpers, including nurses and drivers - from the visa and Iqama fees as per the directives of Crown Prince Sultan. The Ministry of Labor is in the process of laying out the rules in order to implement the Crown Prince's directives. The committee has confirmed that the minimum overall cost for the recruitment of a housemaid or a driver for two years is SR45,850. The visa fee represents only 4.3 percent of the overall cost for house helpers for two years. There has been opposition in the council to these new developments from some members who want a reduction of the recruitment and Iqama fees. However, most of the council members believe that it is necessary to create this new system because house helpers are needed in Saudi homes.
