New digital passport service for Pakistanis

The Pakistan consulate has announced that it will now start providing its expatriates with machine-readable passports, to speed up services and reduce queuing outside its offices.

At a press conference at the consulate on Wednesday, Consul General Aftab Khokhar said a limited number of Pakistanis could start making their appointments for the new passports from next week.
A group of 50 people would be allowed to make appointments, on the phone or by visiting the consulate. He said the normal passport service where applicants have to queue would continue from 8 a.m. to 12 noon for about 200 people daily.
“We know that in the beginning we will face some hurdles so we are asking the community to cooperate with us. Through this service people will get relief from standing in lines for hours and it will also reduce the burden on the consulate,” he said.
He said the consulate plans to ensure the entire service can be done through appointments. “This will save people time and energy. The consulate is also introducing a courier service for applicants to get their passports,” he said.
In the beginning, applicants will be allowed to make appointments a week in advance, but this will be extended to two weeks and then a month in advance.
He said the new passports would be available in 36, 72 and 100 pages, which would cost SR155, SR280 and SR305 respectively. The fees for emergency passports would be SR255, SR455 and SR605. Applicants will receive their emergency passports between 15 and 20 days.

People can make their appointments on the toll free number 08111081412 or the consulate landline number 6692371 at extension 242. The consulate would soon have an online facility to make appointments, he said.

JEDDAH: FOUZIA KHAN
Published — Thursday 12 September 2013 - Last Update 12 September 2013 12:42 am
http://www.arabnews.com/news/464341

Nitaqat System in a Nutshell

What is the NITAQAT?

Arabian for “ranges,” the Nitaqat is an incentive program designed by the Ministry of Labor of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) for the nationalization of the private sector workplace. This is to answer the growing youth unemployment among Saudi citizens, which is higher than every country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) except Iraq.  Ironically, KSA employment is dominated by foreigners in the ratio of nine in every ten employees.  Although the private sector has been creating jobs, they do not go to Saudis.

The government’s goal is to succeed in creating 1.12 million new jobs for Saudi nationals by 2014, or 92 per cent of all new jobs created, as set out in the current development plan.

 How does the National Policy work?

Under the new Nitaqat system, companies will be labelled as “blue or premium”, “green”, “yellow”, or “red” depending on the level of Saudi workers in them to comply with established workers. It assigns different nationalization rates according to the size and activity of companies, so smaller companies have smaller overall quota requirements than larger ones do.

This scheme will also level severe penalties on violators and offer incentives and quotas to firms meeting the quotas.

 Nitaqat System in a Nutshell

NITAQAT (ZONES) SYSTEM In a Nutshell			·         41 classifications of employment sectors ·         5 company classifications based on employee tally ·         4 compliance-related and disciplinary zones
5 Company Classifications (based on total employee tally)
1-10 employees	EXEMPT from classifications				Nitaqat system does not apply
10-49 employees	SMALL classification				5-24% Nationalization required
50-499 employees	MEDIUM				6-27% Nationalization required
500-2999 employees	LARGE				7-30% Nationalization required
3000-more employees	BIG				8-30% Nationalization required
4 Compliance-Related and Disciplinary Zones
Blue zone		GREEN zone		YELLOW zone		RED zone
VIP category INCENTIVES: ·         Can hire anybody from any part of the world. ·         Easier visa processing ·         New visas with open professions through the electronic system. ·         Can change professions of their workers even to those that are restricted to Saudis, except jobs such as employment officials, receptionists, government liaison officials, treasury staff, and security officers. ·         Condition-free visa transfer: Can hire employees from Red zone and Yellow zones, and transfer their visas without the permission of their employers ·         Entitled to a one-year grace period if their municipal and professional licenses or commercial registrations were expired.		Excellent category INCENTIVES: ·         Can apply for new visas once every two months. ·         Can change their foreign workers’ profession except to those restricted to Saudis (i.e. Human resource managers; liaison officers; cashiers; receptionists; security guards) ·         A six-month respite after the expiry of their zakat & revenue certificates. ·         Can renew work permits of their employees. ·         Can recruit employees in red and yellow zones and transfer their visas without the approval of their employers.		Poor compliance Punitive Measures: ·         No new visas ·         Can get only one visa after the departure of two expatriates ·         Cannot transfer visas and change professions. ·         No work permit renewal for employees who have completed six years. ·         No control on workers who can switch over to premium zone companies Grace Period: 9 months to improve their status.		Non-compliance Punitive Measures: Banned from change of profession, transfer of visas, issuance of new visas and opening files for new branches. Grace Period: 6 months to improve their status.
Under the new policy, foreign workers employed by companies that are not in compliance are free to work for companies in compliance without acquiring permission from their employers at non-complying companies.

If unfortunately, you are in Red or Yellow Company and want to switch job you can search job, in addition to other popular recruitment sites, at http://www.redyellow.com.sa/jobshome.aspx

source : Saudi Gazette