Prime ministry reduces freelance permit fees

AMMAN — The Prime Ministry recently agreed to permanently reduce the work permit fees for daily (freelance) workers beyond the grace period of the government's correction and legalisation campaign for foreign workers.

According to a statement, Minister of Labour Nidal Bataineh's recommendation to reduce freelance work permit fees, issued in October 2019, was approved by the Prime Ministry to be adopted permanently.

As per the recommendation, the Ministry of Labour will continue to collect JD700 for freelance agricultural work permits and JD 900 for freelance construction, loading and unloading permits, the statement said.

The reductions were initially adopted during the period of regularisation and correction of non-Jordanian workers' legal statuses launched last year and extended until the end of the current month.

The prime minister issued a directive to amend the system of work permit fees in light of the permanent adoption of the recommendation so that it the amendment can be approved during the next Prime Ministry session. 

Bataineh stated that his recommendation was based on data showing that the concept of ​​a work permit for freelance labour costing JD2,000 for the construction, loading and unloading sectors and JD1,500 for the agricultural sector "was not well-received" by the sector.

Bataineh noted that the idea caused a decline of demand for work permits, especially in the agricultural sector.

“That is when we had to take a decision to reduce the fees. At first, it was only supposed to last throughout the correction and legalisation campaign. However, a strong increase in the demand for permits and a near-disappearance of illegal permits prompted us to adopt this measure permanently,” he said in the statement. 

"We hope this will encourage non-Jordanian workers who had been reluctant to apply for permits to do so. That will achieve our end goal to regulate the labour market and eliminate the phenomenon of illegal permit trade through brokers,” he added. 

The Prime Ministry also extended the reduction of work permit fees for renewals and changes of workplace in the agricultural sector and baking industry until March 31.

The decision reduces the fees in both sectors by JD200.