President Yoweri Museveni on Saturday hit at the externalization of labour saying they have ‘missed something.’
“I don’t support this idea of externalization of labour. Countries which externalize labour are countries which have missed something,” President Kaguta Museveni.
Now, companies recruiting Ugandans for jobs abroad say they want to meet the president over the issue.
Baker Akantambira from the Uganda Association of External Labour says the sector is contributing immensely to the Ugandan economy.
He said a few people who send messages back home about the harsh working conditions in the Middle East, do damage to the sector but revealed that majority were benefitting.
Baker also criticised traffickers saying they are responsible for 20% of labour taken abroad, a number where most of the complaints come from.
To date, there are more than 165,000 Ugandans who are gainfully employed in the Middle East through this program.
According to the recent statistics, the annual remittances from migrant workers in the Middle East alone into the country currently had grown to over USD 700 millions and domestically.
The sector has also been contributing direct employment opportunities to over 4,000 Ugandans through the 200 Licensed Labour externalizing companies.
There are several pre-departure training institutions and other numerous opportunities through back and forward linkages with sectors like hotels and Airlines transport.