The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has recently shut down several domestic worker recruitment offices for manipulating prices and failing to adhere to established pricing regulations. These offices now face penalties, which may include referral to the Public Prosecution and potential closure.

Sources indicate that the ministry issued warnings to the office owners and summoned them for investigations into their price hikes. Should violations be confirmed, stricter penalties will be imposed. Additionally, some offices were found during inspections not to have recorded labor delivery receipts, and these offices will be held accountable once investigations are completed.

In recent months, the ministry has already closed several offices for not complying with pricing regulations and for failing to offer electronic payment options, as required by law. Earlier this year, the ministry updated Resolution No. 103 of 2022, capping recruitment fees at 750 dinars for workers from Asian countries, 575 dinars for those from African countries, and 350 dinars for special passports. These amounts, which include travel costs, represent the maximum allowable recruitment fees.

According to sources from the Public Authority for Manpower, 448 recruitment offices were registered with the authority by the end of August. Inspections resulted in the suspension of 12 offices for non-compliance, although 10 of these had their suspensions lifted after correcting their violations. Additionally, 4 office licenses were canceled, while 60 new licenses were issued last month. A total of 377 complaints were filed against recruitment offices during this period.