QFC division exploring areas of co-operation with ILO training centre

The Employment Standards Office (ESO) of the Qatar Financial Center (QFC) is exploring potential areas of co-operation with the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organisation (ITCILO) in Turin, Italy.Luigia Ingianni, Commissioner of the ESO at the QFC Authority, said “co-operation with ILO is paramount to the ESO and to the QFC, as we continue to ensure we adhere to international best practices.”The ESO is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the QFC employment regulations. It also embodies a unique administrative employment dispute resolution centre operating under ILO standards. Its mission is to foster fair, stable and constructive relationships in the workplace, prevent conflicts and resolve disputes through conciliators trained and certified by ILO.In line with the ILO, the ESO is also in the process of implementing an up-to-date and comprehensive labour market information system (LMIS) to collect, store, and analyse labour market data and evaluate labour market trends with the purpose to develop and design new policies to boost the growth of the QFC business community.In addition to the functions related to employment, the ESO is responsible for the data protection regulations and rules currently under review to align them with the EU GDPR entering into force at the end of May 2018. The ESO is the first administrative employment dispute resolution centre in the Middle East and North Africa region operating under ILO standards.The QFC endeavours to promote Qatar as a lucrative destination. Once a company submits its application, a dedicated QFC relationship manager is appointed to provide guidance on the registration process, obtaining a license and setting up operations. The QFC firms enjoy competitive benefits, such as operating within a legal environment based on English common law, the right to trade in any currency, 100% foreign ownership, 100% repatriation of profits, 10% corporate tax on locally sourced profits, and an extensive double tax treaty agreement network with more than 60 countries.