By Nasratu Kargbo
With the enactment of the Work Permit Act 2023, more Sierra Leoneans are expected to get expatriate positions in companies, Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security Mohamed Rahman Swaray told Parliamentarians.
Reading the purpose of the Act before the House on the 25th of January 2024, the Minister said: “Expatriation should not be forever, experts who come to work in Sierra Leone should have a rigorous programme of succession by which they should be able to transfer skills, knowledge and core competency to their prospective Sierra Leonean successors”.
He said that moving forward his ministry will work with Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of various companies to make clear succession plans to localize some key roles, but was quick to point out that they are not against expatriation and should not be seen as a war against expatriation.
“All we seek to achieve is to ensure that skills and competencies available in the country are utilized”, Swaray said. He assured Sierra Leoneans that they will make the necessary reforms to ensure jobs for which Sierra Leoneans are competent are done by them, explaining that they have been working with Local Content Agencies and other stakeholders to make sure that citizens are mainstreamed without disadvantaging the employers.
He said the public should expect to see advertisements for jobs from foreign companies, saying until the local market is exhausted and that there are no Sierra Leoneans to fill in certain positions before they can go on looking for foreign experts.
On some of the significances of work permits, the Minister said across the world they serve as a control instrument and that they contribute to raising funds for the government.
He explained that over the years the country has been struggling with youth unemployment, further stating that foreigners are taking up jobs that Sierra Leoneans can do. He said the work permit would solve the issue.
Papers presented before the house were: The Work Permit (Fees) Regulations 2024, Work Permit Act 2023 (ACT NO11of 2023) and Statutory Instrument No. 1 of 2024. Parliament was adjourned to 30th January 2024.
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