Representational image
Doha: Assistant at the Legal Affairs Department of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME), Ahmed Al Emadi, has said that the aim of banning workers’ accommodation in family residential area has social, health and economic goals.
“The ban is for social purpose which is to prevent workers’ housing within family residential area. Secondly, we also noticed pressure on health services and electricity and water services in specific places because of partitioned villa,” he said.
If the number of workers in one residence is below three, the aforementioned law will not be applied to them, according to MME.
The Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs (MADLSA), in collaboration with MME carries out campaigns to inspect workers' housing in the country’s residential neighbourhoods.
The implementation of the drives is based on Law No. (22) of 2019 amending some provisions of Law No. (15) of 2010 regarding the ban on housing of more workers than allowed within the family residential areas.
Speaking to Qatar TV, Al Emadi explained that the definition of worker in the law also includes an engineer, a doctor or a teacher if they work for private establishments on which the labor law applies. The law also applies to non-professional occupations.
Abdulaziz Ahmed Al Sayed, Director of the Municipal Control Section at Al Khor and Al Thakhira Municipality, said that the Ministry has a periodic inspection drives. “It also conducts inspection based on complaints and reports. In case of complaints, the inspector checks for the existence of the violation.”
MME has stressed the need to adhere to the requirements of appropriate housing specifications for workers. If companies do not comply with regulations, strict measures including penalties will be taken against them. The violating companies will be referred to the security authorities.
