not to apply for visas for Indonesian domestic workers

Recruitment authorities in the Kingdom have urged Saudi employers not to apply for visas for Indonesian domestic workers until April.

In a statement on Sunday, the National Committee for Recruitment at the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry urged people not to worry if they find any delays in the supply of Indonesian workers.

The statement added that the committee will keep informing people about developments in recruitment issues. It also warned people against swindling attempts by unlicensed recruiting agencies to supply maids instantly.

Saad Al-Baddah, chairman of the recruitment committee, said the committee's current negotiations with Indonesian officials to sort out the issues would continue until April.

The agreement to reduce recruitment fees for Sri Lankan maids from SR8,500 to SR5,500 has not been implemented so far because of a disagreement between the workers' union and officials in Sri Lanka.

Issues related to the recruitment of housemaids from abroad have become aggravated as a result of an Indonesian media campaign against Saudi Arabia following reports of maid abuse in the Kingdom, said Yahya Al- Maqbul, chairman of the Recruitment Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"Those reports are only a minor factor. On the other hand, the underlying cause of the issue is the deliberate exploitation of abuse reports by Indonesian labor suppliers to hike their fees. The fees hike issue has been on the table over the past three years," he said.

According to recently amended agreements with Indonesia, a Saudi employer has to pay SR6,000 for the recruitment of a housemaid and 4,200 for a driver, and the formalities should be completed within 45 days.

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