KAMPALA – Government is seeking for UGX 5Bn to deal with externalization of labour after many concerns were raised about the manner in which some of the girls leaving the country are treated in their destination countries.
The call was made by Peace Mutuuzo, Minister Of State for Gender and Culture Affairs who said that it was about time Parliament considered allocating UGX 5Bn annually to the Department of Employment Services.
The Minister made the revelation while tabling a statement on a number of issues raised by MPs on the externalisation of labour in which he said that the money will go towards the establishment of a one-stop centre for all government agencies involved in the clearance of and giving support to migrant workers.
Mutunzo said the one-stop center will comprise of; Department of Employment Services, Internal Security Organ, External Security Organ, Interpol, Directorate of Immigration.
The Committee will also be charged with finalization of the External Employment information Management System that will facilitate expeditious processing of licensing, vetting and clearance of migrant workers and that the system will be linked with the immigration system and the foreign missions.
Additionally, the one-stop center will facilitate capturing and analyzing real-time data on workers who leave and return to Uganda as well as deploy labour attaches of the Ugandan Missions in Abu Dhobi, Riyadh and Doha.
“I am requesting the Members of Parliament to seize every opportunity they have to advise the young people to carry out due diligence about companies or individual agents before they travel abroad,” said the Minister.
However, Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah asked why Ugandan taxpayers should shoulder the burden of paying for the expatriation of these Ugandans abroad instead of the agents of the labour exporting companies, “Why should the government be responsible to repatriate people, why should family be burdened with paying for these people to return?”
Medard Sseggona, however, requested Oulanyah to institute a select committee to investigate accusations made by some of the people that have left the country after the Minister’s statement made no mention on the exploitation of the Ugandans.
Deputy Speaker promised to give a ruling on the matter next Tuesday on whether a select committee will be instituted to investigate the matter, table a report for debate on the floor of Parliament and have lawmakers take a decision on the matter.
