BY JOACKIM KULE MUHESI
The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has revealed that it was optimistic that jobs offered to Ugandans from abroad are key in helping them address the country’s limited employment opportunities that fail to absorb the labour force.
Hillary Talemwa, the Head of External Employment at the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development, told journalists in Kasese town today morning that the Ministry encourages externalization of workers.
Mr. Talemwa, who met with the media practitioners at White House Gardens, revealed that between 2016 and 2024, at least 280,000 Ugandans have been employed in the outside countries.
According to him, those employees were remitted with USD 1.3 billion in terms of salaries and wages especially to those working in the Middle East, hence marking a significant achievement to the citizens.
The Head of External Employment stressed that the Ministry also acknowledges that the immigrants come back with new skills that enable them to engage in the informal, small and medium sectors.
He revealed that through those sectors, the government managed to collect 3.4 billion in form of revenue.
However, the Ministry warns those intending to go for external jobs against going with companies that are not registered and licensed by the government in order to avoid trafficking and fraud.
According to him, there are only 246 companies that are authorized to take Ugandans outside for employment, cautioning tourist and travel companies against the practice of taking people outside in pretence of offering them employment opportunities.
ENDS