PARLIAMENT.
Members on the parliamentary committee on equal opportunities have asked the department of immigration and the Ministry of Labour to start conducting random demands for work permits from foreigners.
The MPs also want the two bodies to count and produce a database of all workers in the country.
The instructions came after the two bodies failed to present updated data on the number of workers, especially foreign workers in the country and the type of work they are involved in.
“We just see your uniform at border posts. Can we see you at least in town checking out people you give permits. You have the powers to ask people to produce these documents just like traffic does for driving permits,” the committee chairperson, Mohammed Nsereko, said.
The committee’s interest in issues of foreign workers follow President Museveni’s directive that foreigners keep off downtown small and petty businesses.
The legislators noted that most foreigners come into the country on the pretext of working for big businesses but end up doing petty business.
The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, said it is not in position to monitor foreign workers because they don’t have information on who they are.
The State Minister for Labour, Herbert Kabafunzaki, said his ministry cannot monitor foreign workers because it does not sit on the immigration board.
The junior Internal Affairs minister, Mr Mario Obiga Kania, agreed with the committee on tracking down foreign workers but said the initiative should not be rushed.
iimaka@ug.nationmedia.com
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