The CEO of NCS MENA, which specializes in debt collection, Ali Al-Faraj, revealed that “the company has managed to collect 3.6 million dinars for its customers from inside the country or abroad during the past two years, as the company provides its services in the collection of commercial debts and credit risks for 500 local and international companies. Adding that the company’s initiative to participate in the “Foras” program proposed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, and in cooperation with “Tamkeen”, is the first initiative of its kind officially in Bahrain.
Al-Faraj said in an interview with “Al-Watan” “the company qualifies fresh graduates and job seekers with a training program between 3 and 6 months, noting that “the number of trainees ranges between 50 to 100 trainees, as the training program completion is during 2021.”
He stated that “the training program with the Ministry of Labor and Social Development includes 8 different specialties. The training program depends on the national cadre of NCS MENA employees who have high qualifications and long experience in the practical field. Al-Faraj noted that the percentage of Bahrainisation in the company is up to 90%.
And the text of the meeting:
Any information about NCS MENA?
NCS MENA company was established in 1993, i.e., 28 years ago in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and we started our services in the field of collecting commercial and consumer debts locally and globally, such as commercial companies in the field of exports, banks, telecommunications companies, export insurance and various companies around the world, amounting to about 500 companies locally and globally, this work requires an effort to define and market the company’s services, especially globally. The company also started providing credit risk services five years ago. We have also conducted over the years many lectures whether in Europe, America or Asia about debt collection services in the Middle East and North Africa to our international partners through Debt Collection Associations Conferences or directly to our clients such as global export insurance companies. It is worth noting that NCS MENA meets the requirements of industry-specific debt collection standards, respects state laws, and operates within the standard of ethics and integrity. We are also affiliated with several global debt collection societies.
Is the collection process through the law and the judiciary?
There are two ways, the first one is the amicable way, and when we exhaust all the solutions, we resort to the law and the judiciary, and in the event that the client accepts this solution, we transfer the matter to a third party by dealing with lawyers at the highest level, locally, regionally and internationally, and thus the cases are handled in order to speed up the repayment of debts to their owners.
What was the total amount of debt collection in the last two years?
The total value in 2019 amounted to about 2 million dinars, and in 2020, 1.6 million dinars, while we note the decrease last year due to the “Corona” pandemic (Covid 19)
What are the most prominent strategic plans of the company during the current year?
The most prominent plans shown by NCS MENA are that the company is supportive of the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, by offering a qualification program aimed at employing national competencies from the people of the country, which is in line with the national vision 2030. “The Directives of the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister,” by preparing plans and strategies that are supportive of the Ministry of Labor by preparing graduates and job seekers and providing them with experience and competence in various fields and developing them from the practical side.
Are there any details about the qualification program to prepare graduates and job seekers?
We would like to thank the efforts made by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for what has been done during the Corona pandemic (Covid 19). In cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, it is the first initiative of its kind officially in the Kingdom to participate in “Foras” program offered by the Ministry of Labor and in cooperation with “Tamkeen.” Completely, by preparing them for the labor market and finding job opportunities after the training period through the partners of the Ministry of Labor, where the duration of the program ranges between three and six months and is considered a practical training period. The training process includes about 8 specializations, namely, debt collection, accounting, human resources, management, public relations, marketing, sales, and information technology.
Has the company ever trained job seekers or graduates?
The company has previously trained about 500 university graduates and job seekers from University of Bahrain and Al-Ahlia University.
Does the company rely on trainers from abroad for the training programs? Or does the company use the national competencies?
The company relies on the national cadre of NCS MENA employees who have high efficiency and long experience in the practical field so they can train new graduates and job seekers through their practical training on the ground and the assignment of practical responsibilities for them. Also, in cooperation with the “LUMOFY” company, the leader in e-learning, a plan has been developed to qualify the trainee and evaluate it, although this constitutes a challenge by increasing costs and material burdens on the company because the training process is expensive, however, this is in order to achieve the goals of the Kingdom and keep pace with the National Vision 2030. We have undertaken this challenge, which in turn will benefit the Kingdom’s economy, and as we mentioned previously, as a return of favor to our dear kingdom.
How many people have the company trained since its inception?
At the outset, we would like to thank Professor Abdullah Al-Hawaj, founder of Al-Ahlia University, due to the great and continuous cooperation between Al-Ahlia University and “NCS MENA” company, where there are several students who are about to graduate from the university, in addition to the affiliated students from University of Bahrain, where the company welcomes them. Some of them accepted for training, according to the specialization of each student separately in the appropriate department. A good number of trainees have been trained over the past 28 years.
How many companies does the company deal with in the field of recruitment and training?
After entering “Foras” program, the trainees’ performance reports will be submitted to the Ministry of Labor in order to find job opportunities through the partners of the Ministry of Labor. As for training, and due to the pandemic, we are currently limited to electronic training in cooperation with the “LUMOFY” company.
How does the company benefit from young national talents to work?
NCS MENA is the first supporter of young national competencies, and that is by integrating them into training and qualification programs, where the fresh graduated trainee learns all the mechanisms required in the field of labor market, directly the company benefits from the energy and passion of the trainee to learn and work in addition to the creative thinking of the national competencies. On the other hand, reviving the company’s reputation by enhancing the training and recruitment of highly qualified young national cadres and contributing to the company’s development process. In general, it is beneficial to create opportunities for the trainees to obtain a job in the labor market after completing their training period, due to their readiness, which in turn promotes the increase in the employment of Bahrainis, which benefits the local economy by strengthening the economic rotation within the Kingdom in the long run by replacing them place of aliens. For this reason, we are keen to benefit from young national talents.
What about the areas of cooperation between the company and the Ministry of Labor?
We thank His Excellency Mr. Jamil bin Muhammad Ali Humaidan, Minister of Labor and Social Development, who, in turn, at the cost of Mr. Ahmed Jaafar Al-Hayiki – Assistant Undersecretary for Labor Affairs, graciously convened the meeting in order to enter the “Foras” program, which will allow the entrants to get an opportunity to enter the market work, where there is great cooperation between the Ministry of Labor and Social Development and “NCS MENA”, as the Ministry of Labor lists the names of those wishing to join the labor market under the name “job seekers”, and the ministry communicates with the company and proposes a number of candidates from among the lists, The company, in turn, conducts personal interviews for the trainees, and they are evaluated on the basis of that in addition to what was mentioned in the CV, providing vacancies, creating the appropriate environment, and an adequate job opportunity for training.
How many employees does the company have? How much is the percentage of Bahrainization in it?
The number of the company’s employees are about 50 employees’, “trainees” in various departments, and the percentage of Bahrainization is approximately 90%.
Does the company plan to expand its business outside Bahrain? And in which countries?
Yes, the company has plans to open branches in some countries in the Arabian Gulf, and we have a branch in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and through Riyadh branch, we provide services to international and international companies.
Has the “Corona” crisis affected the company’s performance?
Of course, there is a global impact of the Corona crisis (Covid 19) on the global economy, but at the same time, we were able to overcome the effects of the pandemic crisis despite the partial and total closure globally.
