Shura panel opposes 30-day grace period to renew work permits

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A parliamentary proposal to give employers an extra 30 days to renew work permits is being resisted by a Shura Council committee, which argues that recent legal changes already deal with the issue and warns the grace period could fuel irregular employment.

The Services Committee of the Shura Council has studied a draft law to amend Article (26) of Law No. (19) of 2006 on the Regulation of the Labour Market.

The text is based on a bill earlier approved by the Council of Representatives, and the Shura Council is due to debate and vote on it at its sitting next Sunday.

According to the memorandum of the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission, the draft aims to give employers extra time to renew work permits so that the penalty laid down in Article (36) is not applied the moment a permit expires.

It also seeks to reduce cases brought by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) before the courts and to avoid suspending business activities when permits lapse.