The Labour Relations Authority (LRA) has opened the opportunity for the public to submit complaints if Ramadan benefits were not received in accordance with the law.
LRA stated that the Employment Act dictates that every Muslim employee needs to be paid USD195 before the month of Ramadan. It noted previous incidents where employers had failed to provide the Ramadan benefits on time or paid a lower amount to their employees. A fine of between USD324 and USD3,242 can be imposed if the offense is repeated. Measures such as revocation of government permits for employers may also be taken.
LRA stated that complaints can be submitted on the authority's website or by submitting through a form. LRA had earlier stated that 65 complaints were filed last year for non-payment of Ramadan benefits. Of these, 53 employees consulted with their employers, the issue was resolved or benefits were given. Some businesses had also been fined for not cooperating to resolve the issue.