By Our Reporter.
The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (GLSD) has lifted suspension on licensing external labour recruitment companies.
GLSD Permanent Secretary Dr Aggrey Kibenge said in a January 14, 2022 public notice that beginning February 1st, 2022 resumption of processing new external labour recruitment licenses would be effected..
He said the Ministry’s External Employment Management Information System (EEMIS) is being upgraded in line with the new developments and the process is almost complete.
Mr Kibenge said a recent cabinet meeting that approved lifting of suspension on issuance of licenses for new companies also advised the Ministry to consider establishment of shelters for Ugandans in distress.
“Cabinet advised Ministry to consider establishment of shelters to handle cases of Ugandans whose rights have been violated,” he said.
He said:” The Ministry is to institute effective monitoring measures especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE to curb where persistent cries have come from Ugandans.”
The Permanent Secretary said they have embarked on the signing and reviewing of Bilateral Labour agreements – Memorandum of Understanding on Manpower supply with countries of destination.
Due to outcry from Ugandan migrant workers in the Middle East with rising cases of torture, exploitation, deportation and violation of human rights, government decided to visit countries with bilateral agreements.
In December 2021, the Minister GLSD visited her counterpart in UAE with the aim of operationalizing the MoU, which Uganda signed in 2019.
In January 2022, the Minister is expected to visit the State of Qatar to sign the MoU which was negotiated way back in 2017 as well as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to initiate discussions on the review of the MoU signed in 2017.
“We are also at various stages of negotiating and signing agreements with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Turkey and Jordan”, said Mr Kibenge.
The Migrant workers are mostly deployed in the Middle East countries of the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Somalia, Kuwait and Qatar.
The Ministry has to date licensed 216 private external labour recruitment companies and over 300,000 Ugandans have been formally externalized to work abroad since 2005.
Mr Kibenge said they would use resources from the non-tax revenues generated to deploy up to three Labour Attaches to reinforce Uganda Embassies in destination countries to ensure migrants are safe.
“We shall ensure more and better jobs are sourced and taken up while those in distress are provided with the necessary support needed.”.
In April 2019, the Government of Uganda imposed a moratorium on licensing of new companies in order to address some of the challenges in the Externalization of Labour Programme.
Since then a number of measures have been undertaken to address some of the gaps identified in the programme. Key among the pertinent issues is the revision of the law culminating into the Employment (Recruitment of Ugandan Migrant Workers) Regulations, 2021, Statutory Instrument No.47 of 2021, which came into effect on 13th August 2021.
Mr Kibenge stated that the Ministry is committed in facilitating access to external employment that is safe, productive and economically rewarding. He said:” Our specific objectives remain to provide decent work, protect Ugandan migrant workers abroad; promote safe migration and to strengthen bilateral relations with labour recipient countries”■
