Expatriate fees issue hotting up

The Council of Saudi Chambers said yesterday that it would give a petition to higher authorities to force the Labor Ministry to withdraw the decision to impose an annual fee of SR 2,400 for every expatriate in excess of Saudis in private companies. Saleh Al-Sayyed, a member of the National Committee for Contractors, said there is another plan to file a lawsuit against the ministry at the Court of Grievances if it does not revise the controversial decision. About 95 percent of some two million workers in the contracting sector are expatriates. Contracting companies said they would give the ministry details of the huge cost they would incur as a result. Many firms are likely to leave the market as a res?ult of the decision. From : Arabnews