The Government of Uganda, through the Minister of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, Hon. Betty Amongi, has committed itself to facilitate a more efficient recruitment process for the Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies (UAERA) in a meeting held with UAERA board members at the ministry headquarters on July 19, 2023.
According to Mr. Baker Akantambira, the Chairperson of UERA, a number of issues, such as the opening of new markets for Ugandan Migrant workers and delays in the process of externalisation, among others, were discussed.
“One of the key obstacles is the persistent delays within the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development; specifically, the ministry’s pre-condition mandating candidates to secure contracts before undergoing pre-departure training was causing significant setbacks in the recruitment process,” Akantambira highlighted.
Akantambira further noted that the entire process of obtaining Interpol approval takes 28 days, which delays worker deployment and also jeopardises Uganda’s worldwide competitiveness in the labour market.
Baker also noted with concern that Ugandan workers are being exposed to abuse and trafficking due to a lack of bilateral labour agreements with other countries, including Qatar, the UAE, Oman, and Kuwait.
Amongi reaffirmed the government’s commitment to facilitating a more efficient recruitment process, which will likely involve reevaluating the pre-departure training conditions and resolving the issues causing delays at Interpol and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On the opening of new markets, she noted that the government is actively exploring opportunities to diversify bilateral labour agreements with other countries.