Exportation of labour System digitised

Individuals seeking to move to the Middle East or other foreign countries to mainly offer domestic labour or casual and manual work, do not have to seek external labour recruitment agencies, not anymore.

They only need to visit webpage: http://eemis.mglsd.go.ug.

The ministry of gender, labour and social development Thursday officially digitized the entire process related to external employment - from registration of approved recruitment agencies to listings of available jobs, requirements for applicants and the application process itself.

Only licensed recruitment agencies can be hosted on the page, where they list job opportunities prospective employees can scan.

"It is a step in the direction we want to move to, where we can tell real time the numbers of Ugandans performing different chores in foreign countries," said minister for Gender, Labor and Social Development Janat Mukwaya.

She also said the digital system would help Ugandans to differentiate between licensed companies and traffickers.

Martin Wandera, the director for labour at the ministry, said the External Employment Management Information System or EEMIS, as is mainly referred to, eased the entire management of labour exportation. 

"We have been having lots of paper. Lots of files. But with the system, it is just a click," he said.

He said: "Whether it is the number of persons you have in one location or the sex or age group. We can search the detail in less than a minute."

The head Information technology Kenneth Ayebazibwe said they had provided for encryption and individual companies would log into the page via secure connections so clients details are protected.

He said the system would be hosted at the national information technology authority.

The digital system is part of deliberate efforts government is taking to address exploitation in the sector.

A number of Ugandans have been conned and ripped off money by unscrupulous persons on promise of better jobs abroad.

With the system, government can also monitor any abuse of worker-employer contract and intervene.

Last year, Saudi Arabia eased process for exportation of Ugandan migrant workers after almost a year when the Kampala imposed a ban on the externalization of workers following reports of hostility meted out on Ugandans working in the Middle East country.

The growing concern was that domestic workers exported to work in foreign countries, especially in the Middle and Far East, were being conscripted into sexual slavery, tortured, dehumanized, and, at times, denied pay.

However, the government lifted the ban early last year after the two countries agreed on "safer working conditions" (for Ugandan domestic workers in the Middle East country).

Now, those seeking to go abroad sign a four-party employment contract, sealed both in Uganda and the recipient country.

And with the digital system, government can ascertain whether or not terms of contract are respected. Employees can feedback.

The Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies chairperson Andrew Kameraho welcomed the system and said they were "excited."

"If we can save time we can save more money…. The system will take us to another level," he said.

Beatrice Anywar, MP for Kitgum Municipality and deputy chairperson for the parliamentary gender, labor, and social development committee, said the system was good. She asked for it to not be abused