PUTRAJAYA, Sept 25 — Employers will have to fork out the full RM10,000 annual fee if they wish to extend the services of foreign workers — for a duration of up to three years — who have worked in the country for a decade.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said he had taken note of the feedback that foreign workers would not be able to afford to pay 80 per cent of the annual extension fee, which was the initial arrangement for the extension.

“It was reported in the news today that employers said their workers would not be able to bear 80 per cent of the cost and had asked to not implement the fee.

“However, we have given them leeway, which is not easy. Before this, foreign workers would have to go back. So now we let them extend their stay, but with the condition that they have to pay RM10,000,” he told a press conference held at the Finance ministry, here, today.

Lim, however, said the the newly imposed agreement will not affect the current annual levy, which is set at RM1,850.

“I would like to clarify that this does not change the current RM1,850 levy fee, which is the yearly cost paid by employers for the first 10 years of employment.

“I hope this is clear and since there were feedback that says this will burden the foreign workers, therefore we take it into account. This will depend entirely on the employer if they want to pay RM10,000 to extend the worker or they can send back their worker back to their country and have them re-apply as a new worker,” he said.

The extension of foreign workers’ employment tenure was agreed in an August 29 Cabinet meeting and will commence on October 1.

Yesterday, Lim said the government expects to collect at least RM1 billion from the new policy.