ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER 26 April 2014 26 Jumadal II 1435 - Volume 19 Number 6047 Price: QR2 ON SATURDAY Erring eateries to be named from tomorrow DOHA: Beginning tomorrow, the various ministries authorised to catch and punish eateries and outlets selling foodstuff found violating health and safety rules, will have to publish the names of these outlets on their websites. The Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning, Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Health have the authority to catch and punish eateries and foodstuff stores found violating health and safety rules. The minis- tries can order closure of the outlets for a cer- tain period. Earlier, they were not permitted to make the names of the erring outlets public, but now they can — on their websites, as per amendments introduced to the relevant law. The amended law (Number 4 of 2014) was passed recently. Saudi MERS death toll now 87: Ministry RIYADH: Saudi Arabia yesterday announced two more deaths from MERS coronavirus, taking the country’s toll to 87, a day after the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz visited the Red Sea city and commercial hub of Jeddah to reas- sure a worried public. A health ministry bulletin on the Internet said a total of 299 cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome had been detected in the kingdom since MERS first appeared in September 2012. Public concern has been fuelled by the reported resignation last week of at least four doctors at Jeddah’s King Fahd Hospital after they refused to treat MERS patients for fear of infection. AWAITING Palestinian PM offers to make way for unity govt RAMALLAH: Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah offered his resignation yesterday, the official news agency WAFA CHANGE said, a move which may pave the way for a unity government agreed between President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas. Israel on Thursday suspended peace talks with the Palestinians, saying it could not nego- tiate with an administration that embraces a THE ISSUE militant group sworn to Israel’s destruction. The reconciliation pact agreed between Hamas and Abbas’s Fatah party on Wednesday Talk that the sponsorship system didn’t want his name in print, said. the exit permit system should not be scrapped as envisions agreeing upon a government of inde- is all set to be changed, if not The State Cabinet has set up a committee it guarantees social and economic stability and pendent technocrats within five weeks and hold- to look into the sponsorship issue and propose security in a country where locals constitute just ing elections six months later. scrapped, is gaining ground. changes as international pressure to simplify 15 percent of the population. See also page 8 Reliable sources say that under the sponsorship and exit permit rules for foreign “What we need is a state agency that could workers has been mounting since Qatar won the allow a foreign worker to travel overseas if his MH370 search likely to new system the job contract foreign right to host the 2022 Fifa World Cup. sponsor is either not available or is reluctant to workers ink with their employers According to trade and industry circles, the issue the permit,” Zaman said in a column pub- take years: US official is to be given significance as that committee has sounded them out as the sponsor- lished in a local Arabic daily recently. ship system directly concerns the private sector, But the system has come in for scathing criti- SYDNEY/PERTH: The search for missing would likely regulate the relationship which employs some 90 percent of the foreign cism from international organisations and they Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is likely to between the two. workforce. want it scrapped. drag on for years, a senior US defence offi- The private sector strongly resists any changes According to businessmen, though, that cial said yesterday, as an underwater search to the system, particularly exit permit rules, argu- wouldn’t be doing justice as expatriates run many for any trace of the plane’s wreckage off west iving an example, a Qatari businessman ing that their interests need to be protected by Qatari businesses and can run away with cash. Australia appeared to have failed. who claims to have some idea about the state as 85 percent of the country’s population “This is particularly true of businesses owned by The official, who declined to be identified the changes expected in the sponsor- comprises foreigners, and most businesses are Qatari women,” said a businessman, requesting because he is not authorised to comment on Gship rules said: “If a worker would want run by them. anonymity. the search effort, said two weeks of scouring the release after serving his employer for a year or As for allowing foreign workers to change jobs, Among the GCC states, Saudi Arabia and Qatar Indian Ocean floor with a US Navy submersible two and would like to take up a job elsewhere in the businessman said this should be freely permit- are the only countries that require expatriates to drone had turned up nothing. the country, then that should be mentioned in his ted in the case of ordinary workers but conditions get an exit permit, so they are under increasing He said the search for the jetliner, which van- job contract”. must apply to professionals. pressure to end the system. ished on March 8 with 239 people on board, PAGEAt present, employment6 contracts serve the It is not clear if the exit permit system, which is Qatar is especially keen to reform both the would now enter a much harder phase of scour- limited purpose of verifying the salary and perks part of sponsorship rules, is set to be removed or sponsorship and exit permit systems as it prepares ing broader areas of the ocean near where the of employees in the event of a dispute between will remain in force with alterations. to host the Fifa World Cup in 2022. plane is believed to have crashed. workers and their sponsors, the businessman, who According to prominent lawyer Yusuf Al Zaman, See also pages 2 & 4 THE PENINSULA & AGENCIES www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 APRIL 26, 2014 ON SATURDAY 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Home Hope, fear over sponsorship changes Expatriates excited about planned reforms, while citizens express concerns over likely impact BY SATISH KANADY Changing the sponsorship law would ultimately A country like Qatar, benefit Qatar, McGheehan said. “We can’t say abolish umours that the government will make an ‘kafala’ (sponsorship) system overnight; it’s impossible. where foreigners important announcement next month on It’s a deep-rooted system. What we need is the state amendments to Qatar’s sponsorship law to take a step forward.” make up more than Rhave kindled hope as well as caused worry “We would like to see a time frame for whatever 85 percent of the among different sections of the country’s population. reforms are put in place. We understand the reform The over 1.8 million expatriate workers in Qatar will be an incremental process. We want things to move population, needs expect the amendments to brighten their prospects. step by step. Start with the easy things, like the exit to take precautions However, the private sector and a section of citizens permit system, which is doable, practical. And there is are worrying whether the country would compro- no reason why it would impact the commercial com- to ensure its socio- mise with their respective interests to please the munity,” said McGheehan. economic security. international community. THE PENINSULA The Foreign Minister, H E Dr Khalid bin - Qatari lawyer Yousef Ahmed Al Zaman Mohamed Al Attiyah, during a recent visit to Germany, said that Qatar was taking steps to “improve the living conditions of foreign workers”. Last October, the chairman of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), Dr Ali bin Simaikh Al Merri, stated that the government was about Sponsorship rules in GCC states to receive the recommendations of a special com- mittee set up by the State Cabinet to study the sponsorship issue. 1) Is there an exit permit system? 4) What is the annual visa renewal fee? 9) Are employers allowed to keep passport as per If the rumours turn out to be true, the new the law? Qatar: Annual work visa renewal fee is QR1,000. sponsorship law or labour law will make it easier Qatar: Qatar has exit permit rules in place. Saudi Arabia: SR1,000 (QR970.70) is the visa renewal fee Qatar: The law doesn’t allow the sponsor to for many expatriates to switch jobs. The much- Saudi Arabia: Yes, Saudi Arabia has an exit-reentry for one year. As part of the government’s keep a foreign worker’s passport but criticised exit permit will also be scrapped. Skilled visa system. Saudi is also the only Gulf plan to make employment of expats many sponsors violate the law and keep workers and professionals will no longer be required country which charges 200 Saudi riyals for expensive for companies, it has introduced workers’ passports with them. to obtain a no-objection certificate from their the exit-reentry permit, which is applicable a SR2,400 (QR2329.60 ) expat fee for two Saudi Arabia: An employer keeps the passport of expat employer to take up a new job, provided they get to every passport, including the family years. worker as a custom, not by law. Expats clearance from a competent government body or members of expatriates. Kuwait: The annual visa renewal fee is 10 Kuwaiti having investor licence can keep their the Ministry of Labour.