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BAHRAINIS have expressed surprise at a minister’s statement that locals do not have the necessary skills for some jobs for which expatriates had to be employed.
In reply to a question by an MP, Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf said last week that the ministry had 446 expatriate employees.
Their annual contracts cost the government BD17 million over the past two years.
However, he added that foreign workers comprised only 17 per cent of the ministry’s total workforce and that plans were underway to replace them by 2024.
The government covers these expatriate workers’ wages, accommodation, health, air fare, transportation and expenses of bringing their families to Bahrain.
Mr Khalaf said expats were hired because there were no Bahrainis available with the necessary skills such as gardening and insect sciences – claims that caused an uproar on social media.
MP Yousif Zainal expressed surprise at the minister’s statement, pointing out that agriculture has been a main source of livelihood for Bahrainis for generations.
He also highlighted that spending millions of dinars at a time of austerity and efforts to achieve fiscal balance made no sense.
“For the minister to state that he has 446 expatriate employees is a problem and admitting that their expenditure is millions of dinars during such tough financial times is a bigger problem,” he stated.
“The mother of all problems is stating that there are no Bahrainis qualified to hold agricultural jobs!
“The government must think carefully and identify the problems as we are facing a clear official failure to adhere to the policy of replacing foreigners with Bahrainis.”
He urged the government to implement Bahrainisation by announcing a clear practical plan with steps, timeframes and goals to align academic majors with the requirements of the labour market.
His sentiments were shared by a Bahraini woman who said that during the two years when BD17m was spent, many Bahrainis could have been trained by the expats to take over their jobs.
“It should be a clause in the contract that states that expatriate employee will train the Bahrainis in all elements of the job so that a local can take up that job,” she said, on condition of anonymity.
“There are thousands of unemployed Bahrainis searching for any opportunity to serve their country and work and yet we see such statements, which are disappointing and disheartening.”
She called for joint efforts with the Education Ministry to provide scholarships in the required fields to ensure qualified Bahrainis serve their country in various fields.
Agriculture
“Bahrainis have inherited farming and agriculture from their forefathers so claims that they don’t have what it takes are bogus,” said a Bahraini man, on condition of anonymity.
“We are more aware of what our land needs and we are the country of a million palm trees and suddenly we don’t know how to farm?
“It would cost much less to train Bahrainis in these fields and hire them instead of spending all this money on the expatriates.”
reem@gdn.com.bh
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