The ministry of Gender Labour and Social development has suspended 6 labour export firms for failure to comply with the required regulations.
In a letter signed by ministry of Gender Permanent Secretary Mr. James Ebitu, he stresses that the banned Labour export firms have been charging illegal fees.
Below is a full letter from the Permanent Secretary.
1. You will recall that 1 addressed you on 4February 2020 as a response to a number of complaints we receive, and also read in the press and on social media, regarding the unscrupulous action of charging of illegal registration and placement fees by licensed recruitment agencies.
2. I informed you that Regulation 29(1) of the Employment (Recruitment of Uganda Migrant Workers Abroad) Regulations, 2005 limits the chargeable administration tees to Fifty thousand shillings only (UGX 50,0001=). Regulation 29(2) provides that any further placement fees must be approved by the Administration, which is our Ministry.
3. In addition, Regulation 29(3) provides that placement fees shall be collected from a Ugandan Migrant worker only after he or she has signed the employment contract.
4. I also informed you that we had written to all recruitment agencies giving them two weeks to refund the said fees by the 171 day of February 2020. We also warned them that failure to do no would lead to immediate suspension of a company’s license.
5. Unfortunately a number of companies did not comply with the said directive, and have failed to pay back these monies. As of midnight yesterday (17. February 2020), the following five (5) companies had not complied: –
i. Middle East Consultants
ii. Elite Placement Consulting
iii. Eagle Supervision
iv. Elite Winners Agency
v. Spotlight International
vi. High Ground International Ltd
6. Consequent to the above, these companies have been suspended, and have been directed to desist from any acts of labour externalization as from 18. February 2020. Anyone dealing with them does so at his/her own risk.
7. We thank those companies that are compliant, and support our noble objective of ensuring that migration for workers abroad is safe, orderly, regular, productive and dignified.
I thank you. FRO GOD AND MY COUNTRY James Ebitu
For: PERMANENT SECRETARY
