business & finance club - qatar : Indonesia has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Qatar to facilitate recruitment of its medical professionals, in particular nurses.
Giving this information at a press briefing yesterday, the visiting Indonesian Minister for Transmigration and Manpower Muhaimin Iskander said he had held discussions with Qatari officials earlier in the day and efforts would be made to find placement for his compatriots in Qatar’s medical facilities.
Iskander said the local labour authorities have asked the Indonesian government to submit the details of the educational qualifications of nurses and other staff to be recruited. “Working conditions of the nurses, including their salary structure, would be worked out after the next round of talks,” he said.
The minister said his delegation held discussions with HE the Minister for Labour Dr Sultan bin Hassan al-Dhabit al-Dousari and the minister evinced Qatar’s interest in giving more opportunities to Indonesian nationals.
Already, Indonesian medical and nursing professionals are working in some government run clinics in Qatar, the minister said. “However, the latest MoU will facilitate their recruitment in adequate numbers in future,” the minister said.
He said his country would focus on sending both skilled and unskilled workers to meet Qatar’s requirements in the coming months and there is every reason to believe that there are adequate opportunities for professionals from his country in Qatar’s oil and gas, and construction sectors.
Answering a question, Iskander said working conditions in Qatar seemed to be a little better than in most other GCC states and the modified Qatari labour law has adequate provisions for the protection of workers from his country.
The minister said the existing labour protocol between the two countries would be ratified shortly. To another question, Iskander said the latest MoU would accelerate the process of implementing the procedures in the existing protocol .
The minister said that Qatar and Indonesia would intensify co-operation on labour related issues and his country would support the issues to be raised by Qatar at the forthcoming International Labour Organisation (ILO) meeting to be held in Geneva. “We would do whatever possible to protect the interests of our workforce in the region, including those in Qatar,” he stressed.
Former ambassador of Indonesia to Qatar Dr Abdul Wahid Maktub, who is a special adviser to the minister, has accompanied the minister during the visi