RIYADH — The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) announced that Sierra Leone is the new international destination for the recruitment of domestic workers. It said that the maximum recruitment fee from the country has been fixed at SR7,500, exclusive of value added tax (VAT). The Ministry stated that all establishments that provide brokerage service in the recruitment of domestic workers must not exceed the highest ceiling of recruitment fee set by the Ministry. This comes within the Ministry's continuous efforts to allow more countries to send domestic workers to the Kingdom as well as its endeavor to further improve the services provided in the domestic labor sector. The Ministry had previously instructed the licensed recruitment companies and offices to comply with the maximum rate for hiring domestic workers from a number of countries. The maximum recruitment charges fixed by the Ministry include SR6,900 from Ethiopia; SR7,500 from Burundi; SR9,500 (Uganda); SR10,000 (Thailand); SR10,870 (Kenya); SR13,000 (Bangladesh); SR17,288 (The Philippines); and SR15,000 (from Sri Lanka), and this charge is exclusive of VAT. The Ministry's decision to open doors to more countries to recruit house workers is considered as a continuation of its work to develop the sector, as well as to organize procedures and price governance in the recruitment market, and monitor and follow up on their implementation to ensure the quality of the services provided.
