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MPs are planning to revive a probe into Bahrainisation, hoping for a stronger government response to more than 7,300 expatriates still occupying civil service jobs.
Ten MPs, led by Ebrahim Al Nefaei, want to reboot the probe committee into Bahrainisation following a Constitutional Court ruling which stated that MPs have not followed proper procedures since 2002 deeming their findings void and null.
A committee was set up by MPs two years ago to investigate the localisation of jobs but its findings have been shut up in a government drawer following the court ruling.
Parliament and Shura Council Affairs Minister Ghanim Al Buainain, who is politically responsible for the Civil Service Bureau, told MPs in February that 7,328 expatriates were on contract to do civil service work.
He added that most of the expats were hired to do emergency work for the Health Ministry due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
A proposal to ban expatriates from taking up government jobs especially in the fields of teaching, medicine and engineering was approved by MPs earlier this year.
If approved, the proposal could see the Civil Service Commission clearing the list of expat employees and filling the vacancies with qualified Bahrainis.
The ministries of Education, Health, and Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning have told Parliament that they were already prioritising the employment of Bahrainis.
There are around 40,000 Bahrainis in civil service jobs.
Qualified
“We don’t want expats replaced immediately, all we want is a clear plan of when and what will happen,” said Mr Al Nefaei, who also headed the original probe.
“The number 7,328 is around a fifth of the number of current civil service jobs and that’s high in a country that has qualified Bahrainis capable of handling responsibilities and learning how to be future leaders and decision-makers.
“We need to revisit a probe into Bahrainisation and we have already prepared a request under rebooted themes that has been signed by 10 MPs.”
Khalid Bu Onk said expats were needed for civil service work in rare specialisations, such as as gardeners, drivers or in technical jobs.
“We can’t get rid of expats 100 per cent, we don’t want to get rid of expats 100pc, but they have to be filtered to jobs that are specific, rare and unavailable or unwanted by Bahrainis.”
Mr Al Buainain said in February that since 2019 the government had terminated the contracts of 1,080 expats from civil service jobs.
He added from January 2019 to December last year, the government hired 3,175 Bahrainis for 42 ministries and government bodies.
Two urgent proposals to replace expats with Bahrainis in the infrastructure and health sectors were submitted by MPs last month.
In the first proposal, MPs led by Ammar Al Mukhtar said the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry had several jobs that qualified Bahrainis could apply for.
In August last year, Minister Essam Khalaf told MPs that 446 expatriate employees were hired on contracts at the ministry at a cost of BD17 million over two years.
He, however, added expatriates comprised only 17pc of the ministry’s workforce.
The same group of MPs also proposed full Bahrainisation in the dentistry sector.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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