27 October 2015 – The Philippine Embassy in Doha reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that Qatar will implement an electronic contract system for migrant laborers in Qatar by the end of March 2016.

According to Mr. Mohamed Ali Al Meer, a senior official at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, “This will be the first of its kind in Qatar.”

Under the new system, laborers will be able to access a government website and by entering personal details, such as their name, ID or visa number, they will be able to view their work contract. Many workers will be able to see what they have signed up for in Qatar for the first time in their own language since the service will be initially offered in 10 languages.

The scheme will not be compulsory, but Meer said that he expects many companies to sign up. Officials said that the electronic contract system is part of an overall reform package that includes the introduction of a wage protection system (WPS) in November and changes to the “kafala” system (system to used to monitor migrant laborers, working mostly in the construction and domestic sectors, in Lebanon, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE).

“The implementation of electronic contracts for migrant workers is a positive step towards lessening cases of contract substitution as this will ensure transparency,” Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Wilfredo C. Santos said. END