RIYADH — The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has adopted a package of decisions and measures aimed at mitigating the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the private sector and enabling it to keep its workers in the current stage and support growth so that both the workers and their firms can surpass this phase safely, Saudi Press Agency cited the ministry as announcing on Friday.

The ministry’s decisions, include lifting the halt on wage protection in the current phase, temporarily lifting the halt on private sector firms to rectify their activity, lift the halt due to nonpayment of fines, employing a Saudi will be counted immediately in Nitaqat for all firms, all fines pertaining to recruitment of workers shall cease, continuing to provide services to Al-Safwa clients round the clock, and allowing borrowing of workers via Ajeer Program to facilitate work procedures and reduce the burdens related to manpower for the impacted sectors, and to assist the sectors in demand.

The ministry disclosed that these initiatives and decisions would continue to be in force until the coronavirus crisis disappears, with the ministry stressing: “Until there is a breakthrough in the coronavirus crisis.

The ministry stressed that this is meant to support the efforts of the Kingdom’s government to prevent the entry of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) into the country and control its spread, in collaboration with government action by all authorities to confront the economic impacts of the “corona” crisis.

It also stressed the necessity to take a number of financial and regulatory measures that will ensure that businesses continue to operate on track as planned earlier without any effect or decrease in the rate of economic growth and development in the vital sectors and those that have an effect the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) indices.

The ministry added that during the past few days it took many decisions and preventive and precautionary measures recommended by the competent health authorities in the Kingdom. This comes within the sphere of the concerted government efforts to curb the spread of this virus and protect the health of the citizens and expatriates.