Govt to streamline hiring of foreigners

President Jakaya Kikwete and Labour and Employment minister Gaudentia Kabaka react when teachers from Temeke District (top) took advantage of the Labour Day procession at Uhuru Stadium to tell the Head of State, who was the chief guest, that they had not been paid their April salaries. PHOTOS | SILVAN KIWALE 

By Frank Kimboy ,The Citizen Reporte

In Summary

President Kikwete also disclosed that the government plans to set up a compensation fund for workers. Both public and private sector workers will be covered as long as they are injured while on duty.

Dar es Salaam. The government intends to come up with a law to check the number of foreign workers in Tanzania. President Jakaya Kikwete revealed this during Labour Day celebrations yesterday.

The new law will centralise issuing of work permits to foreigners, according to the President, as opposed to the current situation where more than one institution are allowed to do so.

The Bill, to be known as An Act for Foreigners’ Work Permits, will be tabled in Parliament under certificate of urgency in the October parliamentary session.

President Kikwete said this when he led thousands of workers in celebrating Labour Day at a colourful ceremony at Uhuru Stadium yesterday. This year’s Labour Day went by the theme “Good governance should be used to address labourers concerns”.

The head of state said some institutions had misused the opportunity and issued permits to unqualified candidates.

The number of foreign workers in the country is alarming, the president added, and there is a need for the government to take urgent measures to manage the issue.

“For some time now, people have been complaining that foreigners are employed in positions that Tanzanians can serve in, which is true,” he added. “Since some institutions which are responsible for issuing work permits have not been loyal, we intend to enact a law which will give the mandate to one institution.”

President Kikwete also disclosed that the government plans to set up a compensation fund for workers. Both public and private sector workers will be covered as long as they are injured while on duty.

Under the arrangement, the government will contribute one per cent of the salaries of public employees every month while private employers will contribute 0.5 per cent of their employees’ salaries.

According to the President, some of employers have been unable to compensate employees injured at work because they simply cannot afford it.

The President promised that the government would improve the salaries of public employees and reduce Pay as You Earn (PAYE). The minimum wage and PAYE rates will be announced when the Finance minister tables the 2014/2015 budget in Parliament.

Although donors and other development partners have been complaining that the government has spent most of its budget on salaries, he added, the government will continue to improve the salaries it offers its employees because they are poorly paid at the moment. The government spends 48.6 per cent of its budget--equivalent to 10 per cent of the GDP--on salaries.