By Our Reporters.
Ugandan government has abolished fees charged on people seeking employment opportunities in Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Gender, Labour and Social Development Minister of Gender, Ms Betty Amongi, said the decision was made by Cabinet on September 27, 2021 at State House Entebbe in a meeting that discussed performance of externalization of labour programme that launched in 2005.
She said Cabinet raised concerns on companies that charged Ugandans fees for employment requirements, including certificate of good conduct issued by Uganda Police Interpol department.
“Government decided that based on the Bilateral Labour Agreement signed with Saudi Arabia, the employers should meet all the placement costs,” She said.
The Minister said cabinet resolved that migrant workers destined for Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq should not pay any fees to a recruitment company in Uganda since costs for their placement are covered by employers.
Hon. Amongi said cabinet has approved lifting of the ban on registration of new labour exporting companies, which had been imposed in 2019 .
She said: ” Government has approved the establishment of safe accommodation or shelter for distressed workers in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In a related development cabinet has directed the Gender, Labour and Social Development Ministry to work hand in hand with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in expediting negotiations and signing of bilateral labour agreements with Qatar, Turkey, Oman , Bahrain, and other countries engaged in employing skilled labour.
Sources within government said Gender and Labour Ministry has been directed to appoint and deploy two additional external security officials in each country where Uganda signed bilateral relations to assist workers in those countries.
Uganda cabinet has directed exemption of all migrant workers with exception of security guards from prerequisites of obtaining certificates of good conduct from Interpol..
The new development come at a time when there has been delays in processing and obtaining certificates of good conduct and deportation this month of over 50 Ugandan female workers from Saudi Arabia.
It must be noted that three years ago at the height of gross mistreatment and exploitation of migrant workers by bogus recruitment agencies, Uganda government was forced to intervene in streamlining the process.
Former Gender, Labour and Social Development Minister Hajat Janat Mukwaya was instrumental in establishing bilateral agreements on externalization of Labour.
The agreements streamlined the process, and eliminated impediments encountered in the promotion of externalization of labour.
The Employment (recruitment of Ugandan Migrant workers) Regulations, 2021, has introduced measures to address challenges faced by migrant workers. The new measures restrict ownership of recruitment companies to only Ugandan nationals, introduce pre-departure orientation training to all migrant workers.
Under the new regulations Gender and Labour Ministry will punish recruitment companies if they charge migrant workers unauthorized fees and they risk having their licences suspended or canceled all together.
The various recruitment agencies in the country will nolonger publish employment advertising unless the messages have been approved by the Gender, Labour and Social Development Ministry.
As a financial “security measure” the requirements of the value of the bank guarantee that is used in clearing any claims that could arise from migrant workers against a recruitment agency has been raised from Ushs 50 million to Ushs 100 million
Penalties for offences has increased from three months to five years imprisonment or a fine not exceeding one thousand currency points or both
But other bilateral labour agreements Uganda signed with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would continue to be enforced ■
