The Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs are to work jointly in the vetting of all expatriate employees of the new investors.
According to the provisions of the Investment Code Act, 2019, all expatriate workers to be employed in Uganda must be subjected to approval by the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA).
“The investor has to justify the need for an expatriate who must also be authorized to work in Uganda with a work permit, and it is on this permit that individual qualifications are attached- including those that are in foreign languages,” said the Authority’s Director for Investment Promotion and Business Development Mrs. Sheila Mugyenzi.
“Education certificates that are in foreign languages are sent to the Makerere University Institute of Languages for interpretation and are equated to the local education standards,” she said adding that all this was being done by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
She explained that, previously, the Authority would receive applications from the expatriates and recommend them to the Immigration department but now, through the digital network, investors can go online and apply directly to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“Since they can apply online, it means that Authority does not get access to their forms hence the plan to work jointly with the ministry to vet the investors,”.
In addition to paying attention to conditions for employing expatriates in Uganda, investors need to also consider a number of other factors in applying for and maintaining their licensee status.
They, for example, need to specify the date by which their capital investment shall be invested in the business, maintain proper financial and accounting records, returns, samples and ensure that their actions do not cause injury to the ecology or environment.
All investors must ensure a gender-sensitive working environment and take necessary action to ensure equal opportunities amongst personnel and potential employees,” she said adding that investors must apply for renewal of the license, three months to the expiry.
The law also requires investors to allow access to the operations of the business enterprise to the employees or agents of the Authority and for investors to submit annual returns including data on actual investment; actual employment created; status of the project, data on exports and issues in the export market and data on business expansion and diversification plans to the Authority.
Source: Uganda Investments Authority
