Dhaka seeks fee reduction for Takamol skills tests required for Saudi-bound workers
The current testing fee of $50 – and an additional $50 for retakes if a candidate fails – poses a financial burden for most Bangladeshi workers travelling to Saudi Arabia, says Senior Secretary Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan.
A proposal to reduce the Takamol skills verification test fees for Bangladeshi workers – both existing and prospective – has been discussed in a meeting in Riyadh.
Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan, senior secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, recently held the meeting at the headquarters of Takamol Holding in the Saudi capital.
During the meeting, the official highlighted that most Bangladeshi workers travelling to Saudi Arabia come from financially constrained backgrounds.
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He mentioned that the current testing fee of $50 – along with an additional $50 required for retakes if a candidate fails – poses a financial burden for them.
Neyamat strongly requested that the retake fee be reduced or waived for unsuccessful candidates.
Senior Takamol official Adel Al-Furaidi assured Neyamat that the proposal will be considered seriously, mentioning that the Takamol skills verification certificate is now mandatory for sending workers to Saudi Arabia.
He said 90% of foreign workers are already arriving with this certification, a figure expected to reach full compliance soon.
