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Employers to bear cost of ID cards

Expatriate residents in the capital, on Sunday, welcomed the Emirates Identity Authority’s (EIDA) ruling of asking employers to bear the costs of their workers’ identity cards.

The card costs Dh170 per year, which also includes typing and processing charges. The new ruling will come into force after the ID issuance for expats is linked to their permanent residency permits by mid of this year.

An official source confirmed the new ruling will come into force, but was not sure from when. According to him, it was likely that employers will be asked to bear the cost of ID cards of their expatriate employees after their registration was linked to residency permits.

A section of the media yesterday quoted EIDA Director General Ali Al Khouri as saying that all employers in the country will have to pay the costs for issuance of identity cards of their employers once the ID was linked to the residency permit.

“The fees for the issuance of the ID card will automatically become the responsibility of the sponsor once it is linked to residence and after the enforcement of the unified application form,” Al Khouri told Al Ittihad.

Confirming Al Khouri’s statement, an official source told Khaleej Times that employers will bear the cost as the system for ID registration and residency permits are linked. He said: “Both the registration for the ID and residency permits will be linked, but the timeline is yet to be decided and announced. I don’t know when it will come; it may come later in the year.”

According to media reports, Al Khouri said that some major private sector companies in the country, including Al Jaber Group, had already agreed to pay ID fees for their employees.

“As from April, government services to the public will be linked to registration and obtaining the ID card. We will work to link the ID electronically with six government establishments including the ministries of interior, labour, education, health, justice and higher education,” Khouri is said to have quoted.

He also told the seminar that all GCC and UAE citizens must obtain their ID cards without any delay as their interests in the country would be blocked in the case of failing to register for the card on time.

Al Khouri was further quoted as saying that the entire registration system was being expanded to speed up the process of registration to complete the project on time and help complete the ambitious e-Government system across the country. He said the project is expected for completion within the first quarter of 2011.

Meanwhile, expatriate residents in the capital welcomed the move of asking employers to pay for their employees’ ID cards.

Omar Hassan, an employee of a government department, said: “It is good news. The move is in compliance with the labour law that requires all employers to bear the costs of their workers’ documentations such as residency permit, labour card and health insurance. It will also help those who earn very little to save some money for their family members back home.”

Another resident, Mohammed, a pick-up driver, who asked to be identified by his first name only, said it was relief for people like him as, he added, many of them are already paying for their health and labour cards. He said: “Not all sponsors pay for the fees of their workers’ paper work. I have been paying for my own Daman health card. If it is implemented strictly, my employer may pay for my ID card. So, I’m going to register very soon.”

nissar@khaleejtimes.com