The government of Uganda is in negotiations with the government of Oman over the externalization of labour, Eagle Online has learnt.
The negotiations follow the signing of a bilateral labour agreement with the Saudi government. The agreement was signed last month.
The negotiations are led by State Minister for Labour, Employment, and Industrial Relations Esther Anyakun and other ministry officials.
The team is currently in Muscat to negotiate with the state of Oman on a bilateral agreement on labor issues. This is as Uganda explores more lucrative employment opportunities abroad for the country’s skilled labor force to curb unemployment.
In 2018, Uganda suspended labor exports to Oman over mistreatment of its nationals. Ugandans we beaten often deny meals and pay checks at the end of the end of the month, while others were killed.
As of June, last year, there were 235 licensed private recruitment companies. Every two years, each company pays Shs2 million in license fees. Annually, the government collects $1.3 billion globally from labor export businesses; the Middle East alone sends in $700 million.
Last year, the Minister of Finance, Matia Kasaija, said that during the #Covid-19 pandemic, the country was surviving on remittances. The contribution of remittances amounted to $1.3 billion in 2022, compared to $1.1 billion the previous year.
The government collects $30 (Shs110,000) in job order fees for each eternalized worker. That money is wired directly to the Uganda Revenue Authority accounts. From August 2021 to August 2022, the government collected over Rs12 billion from job orders.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs says they process 10,000 passports every month, and the biggest percentage goes to individuals seeking to work in the Middle East.
According to the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, there are over 150,000 Ugandan migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. Most Ugandans are employed in the informal sector as housemaids, gardeners, cargo handlers, and other jobs.
In 2021, Uganda externalized 89000 Ugandans, of whom 79000 went to Saudi Arabia. Of the 79000, 75000 were female. By June 2022, Uganda had externalized 50,000 nationals, and a high percentage went to Saudi Arabia.
