The Hon. Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Janat Mukwaya launched the External Employment Management Information System (EEMIS). The system is intended to streamline and coordinate the Labour Externalization Programme and all the stakeholders.
The System is operated under the Directorate of Labour, Employment, Occupational Safety and Health headed by the Director, Mr. Wandera Martin. Currently 96 companies are licensed by the Ministry to recruit and deploy migrant workers abroad.
Mr. Wandera who represented the Permanent Secretary at the launch emphasized the importance of the system in improving management of labour exportation in the country. Other stakeholders of the System include the Joint Intelligence Committee, Interpol, UAERA (Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies) and Ministry of Internal Affairs. In his remarks, the Director also thanked the team of developers that are made of Ugandan IT Professionals at the Ministry and partners from the private sector who built the system at no cost.
The Hon. Minister in her remarks mentioned that the System will aid in differentiating between a licensed company and a trafficker. Additionally, it will eliminate some of the weak links experienced in the manual processing of documents including lessening of paperwork. The system is also expected at the same time to promote safe and legal migration of labour and also easily enforce traceability of labour migrants abroad.
To promote safe labour migration, the Government of Uganda has Signed bilateral labour agreements with;
o Government of Saudi Arabia
o Heshmite Kingdom of Jordan
Government has established monitoring mechanisms for all deployed migrant workers abroad
o Implemented the Musaned System for house maids go to work in Saudi Arabia
o Established labour liaison offices in Saudi Arabia
Government has also established a labour liaison desk at Entebbe International Airport as strategy to fight human trafficking.
The launch of the System was attended by among others Hon. Beatrice Anywar, Vice Chairperson of the Gender, Labour and Social Development Committee of Parliament, Mr. Andrew Kameraho, the Chairperson of the UAERA, representatives from National IT Authority – Uganda (NITA-U), Members of the media and Staff of the Ministry.
