Shoura sits on proposal for 8 years

The Shoura Council has not yet decided on a proposal submitted about eight years ago to reduce various charges for recruitment of domestic workers, farmers and herdsmen. The proposal, submitted by two former Shoura members, Mohammad Al-Quaihes and Abdullah Al-Dosari, was initially approved by the financial committee of the council, a local newspaper said Saturday.

The newspaper cited the financial committee’s report that the proposal has important points such as the surge in visa fee, which has put a huge burden on citizens, and the need for domestic workers for families, particularly those with elderly and disabled persons.
The other factors, the committee pointed out, are people who work or study in addition to the lack of Saudi laborers to do domestic work.
The committee has said that the rising cost of living and high prices of many consumer goods as well as losses incurred by citizens in the stock market have all made it very difficult for them to bear the multiple fees in the recruitment process. 
It said the steep charges may force citizens to flout rules and regulations and resort to corruption and forgery of licenses and iqamas. 
The committee said the aim of imposing the fee was to streamline and lower the recruitment charges, but the opposite has happened.