The Taqat Employment Support Program is a Saudi national action plan aimed at supporting private and non-profit sector establishments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and providing employment opportunities for citizens. The government, represented by the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf), covers a fixed rate of employees' wages in these establishments for a period of twenty-four months, according to specified criteria. The fund began disbursing the first payments on April 28, 2020, and it included those who were employed starting from July 1, 2019, retroactively. The first payment of support amounted to approximately SAR51 million and was provided to beneficiary establishments to support the employment of around twenty-two thousand employees in the private sector.
The goal of the Taqat Employment Support Program
The goal of the Taqat Employment Support Program is to provide employment opportunities for citizens of both genders, increase the localization rate of jobs in the private sector, and achieve stability for both establishments and employees, especially during the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The controls for providing support in the Taqat Employment Support Program
The Taqat Employment Support Program provides its services according to specific eligibility controls, which include:
- The applicant is a Saudi national.
- The applicant is not less than eighteen years old nor more than sixty years old.
- The applicant is not a student, government employee, retiree, or employer.
- The applicant does not exceed the specified support duration of twenty-four months.
- The applicant must be registered in the social insurance system of the specified establishment for a period not exceeding four months.
- The applicant is not registered with any other establishment at the time of applying for the program.
- The applicant for the program and the establishment is registered in the National Labor Portal (Taqat).
- The applicant's salary is not less than SAR3,200, and does not exceed SAR15,000.
- The salary registered in the social insurance system is not less than the salary stated in the support application.
- The Taqat Employment Support Program can be utilized by individuals registered in programs, such as Hafiz, Wusool, Tamheer, professional certificates, Qurrah, and Dialysis Support Program.
The mechanism for calculating support in the Taqat Employment Support Program
Support in the Taqat Employment Support Program is calculated after fulfilling the conditions and acceptance, as the Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF) covers 30 to 50 percent or SAR3,000 of the beneficiary's salary. An additional support of 10 percent is provided to establishments when hiring females and people with disabilities, and when creating jobs in cities with fewer opportunities. Moreover, the fund determines additional support based on its campaigns targeting specific economic sectors, specific job titles, and activities affected by the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Support pathways in theTaqat Employment Support Program
The Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf) provides support to beneficiaries in the Taqat Employment Support Program through two pathways: the Fast Support Pathway, which allows the establishment to register employees and job data when the data is already available within the establishment without the need for job advertisement. The establishment verifies that employees meet the program's conditions, and acceptance or rejection results are automatically issued at that moment. Eligibility verification for accepted individuals is at the end of the month, and invoices are issued.
The second pathway, which is the Job Advertisement Pathway, allows the establishment to add a job advertisement. Job seekers then register on the National Labor Portal (Taqat), and the procedures are completed by notifying the applicant of acceptance or rejection and sending the job offer for approval upon acceptance. The Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf) verifies eligibility at the end of the month, and invoices are issued.
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