The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology has announced a definitive stance on outstanding foreign expatriate related fines and fees, declaring that employers who have failed to make payments under existing settlement agreements will be afforded no further extensions or concessions.
However, acknowledging challenges faced by compliant employers, the Ministry has extended the regular payment agreement for those consistently using the Expat System.
In a statement, the Ministry confirmed its decision to cease further concessions for employers who have not honoured their commitments to pay expat-related dues. This firm position follows an earlier period where the Ministry had offered concessions to foreigners to facilitate the settlement of these fees.
Responding to feedback received since 1 September 2024, regarding difficulties encountered by employers in meeting payment deadlines under existing settlement agreements, the Ministry has decided to extend the agreement for regular payments. Effective 10 October, details of this extension and changes to the agreement will be made accessible to eligible employers and system users via the Expat System homepage. This measure specifically targets employers who consistently pay their fees.
The Ministry underscored that this extension does not apply to those who have previously failed to initiate any payment under past settlement agreements.
Statistics provided by the Ministry reveal that out of 68,000 employers registered on the Expat Portal, only about 7,900 are actively making regular payments. Alarmingly, over 8,000 individuals have been suspended from the Expat system for non-payment of expat-related fees.
To date, the authorities have managed to recover around USD 77.8 million out of an estimated USD 110.2 million owed to the state in expat fees and fines.
These efforts are part of a broader government initiative to gather comprehensive information on foreigners and address related challenges. The government has already collected biometric data from more than 177,000 foreigners residing in the country.