Paying the salaries of all Bahraini workers in the private sector for the months of April, May and June

18-03-2021

His Excellency Jameel bin Mohammad Ali Humaidan, Minister of Labour and Social Development, praised the royal directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the country's great king, may God protect and preserve him, to unify national efforts to confront the repercussions of the global spread of the Coronavirus (COVID‑19) at the local level, in a manner that preserves the health and safety of citizens and residents, while ensuring the continuation of the state’s programmes and work, achieving sustainable development for the benefit of citizens, and to follow up on the decisions of the government headed by His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and the orders of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, to launch a financial and economic package to provide the necessary liquidity for the private‑sector to deal with the effects of the current situation, confront the virus, and maintain sustainable growth. On this occasion, Humaidan affirmed that the royal directives to launch the financial package will help address any potential impacts on citizens' lives and livelihood stability, most notably ensuring job stability and providing employment opportunities for citizens in the event of any adverse economic effects. Humaidan said that the esteemed government's commitment to paying the salaries of Bahraini citizens working in the private sector for the months of April, May and June 2020, as recorded by the Social Insurance Organisation (SIO), will ensure stability and sustainability, and will not affect citizens' standard of living. It will also enhance employers’ ability to mitigate any negative impacts on business and the pace of the economy, making them more capable of facing exceptional circumstances resulting from the current global situation. His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development explained that wage support will be achieved by utilising the savings of the Unemployment Insurance Fund, to which workers, employers and the government have contributed. This is the right time for the Fund to contribute to stability and sustainability, and its benefits will be reflected on workers, employees, employers and society in general. It will contribute to economic stability and mitigate any undesirable effects resulting from the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), at a cost of 215 million Bahraini dinars to cover the months of April, May, and June 2020, at a monthly rate exceeding 70 million dinars. This includes all Bahrainis working in private‑sector establishments, who number approximately 100,000 employees and workers registered with the SIO. The constitutional and legal procedures required to implement this decision will be completed in the coming days, after which executive measures will be announced regarding the ways to benefit from this decision.