Toribiong in an interview said an official quota of 6,000 will be set, a move made as a recommendations made during the recent Labor Forum.
The president said that this move is due to “preservation of culture,” and to entice Palauans working abroad to seek employment in their own country.He said it is “unhealthy for Palau” to have a big number of foreign workers while its own citizens are seeking greener pastures outside of the country.He said under the law, he has the authority to make such move.“Legally I have the authority to deny or accept the admission of foreign workers,” Toribiong said.Labor statistics showed that there are 5, 432 foreign workers in Palau and there are 5,930 resident workers.The workforce in Palau, Palauans and non-Palauans combined, reached 11, 362 from these figure, 8,223 are working for the private sector while 3,139 are working for the government.For non-Palauan workers, 651 are working as domestic helpers, 167 as houseboys, 220 are helpers while 77 are farmers.The statistics further showed that 497 are working as fishermen, 106 masseuse and 449 are waitresses.During the labor forum the Palauans have expressed concerns over the huge number of foreigners working in the country.The president said that he will also order a temporary ban on the hiring of Bangladeshi nationals.The president added that Bangladeshi nationals whose contracts are up, will be sent home.He said the lack of diplomatic ties with Bangladeshi workers is a factor for the ban.The president said he has ordered the Division of Labor to provide him the data on foreign workers and to ensure that “those who should not be here are sent home.”He said nationals from Myanmar who wants to seek employment in Palau will also be temporarily banned.He said through this move, the government can also protect foreign workers who are already in Palau.The president said that his office is open for any comments or suggestions in the matter before he signs the executive order.The president said he is also considering an imposition of tuition fee on non-Palauan students studying at Palau High School.