QCCI wants sponsorship, exit permits to continue Monday, 11 October 2010 03:39

DOHA: Although the trend is gradually turning against the sponsorship and exit permit systems in the GCC countries, Qatar’s private sector says it would continue to back the above rules.

As Kuwait readies itself to join its GCC peers in switching to a sponsorship-free system from early next year, whereby expatriate workers would be free to change jobs, the private sector here admits the sponsorship and exit permit systems have been retained in the new sponsorship law at its behest.

This, despite the fact that Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) has been openly opposing these rules saying they violate the basic rights of workers.

Even the Qatari government saw merit in the call of the NHRC and was said to be mulling removing the systems before the new law was enforced.

But it had to eventually respect the wishes of Qatari businessmen and rule in their favour.

The Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), the representative body of the private sector, says it backs the exit permit and sponsorship regulations to the hilt and wants them to continue.

Asked by Al Sharq about Kuwait’s recent announcement that it will do away with the sponsorship system by February 2011, the QCCI chairman, Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, said: “We are all for retaining these rules.”

He admitted that the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister,
H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani, had told Qatari businessmen during an interaction with them before the new sponsorship law was implemented that studies were on to assess if the exit permit and sponsorship rules could
be removed.

“But we told him that we wanted the systems to continue,” said Sheikh Khalifa. “Our stand was supported by the Minister of State for Interior Affairs, who was also present at the meeting,” he added.

Sheikh Khalifa visited the office of Al Sharq and interacted with its management and staff recently. He made the above disclosures in response to questions.

Observers, though, say since Qatar is signatory to a number of international charters to protect the basic rights of workers, it might be difficult to retain the exit permit and sponsorship rules for long.

Also, Qatar is seen by the world community as one of the few countries in the Middle East that champion the cause of freedom.

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