EAC -CM: Dar Government tells illegal workers, traders to pack and go

The Quonquerer

JF-Expert Member
May 14, 2009
777
111
MOHAMED KAZINGUMBE

THE new minister for Trade, Industry & Marketing, Cyril Chami has joined other zelous ministers to show people that there are real committed leaders after announcing a major crackdown for illegal foreign workers and business people.It is estimated that over a third of foreign traders in the country mainly in large cities with Kariakoo taking lion's share, are facing repatriation orders, as reports indicates that they were all conducted illegally or other were doing unintended purposes of staying in the country.

Business Times has established that there are hundreds of thousands of illegal foreign traders and workers who are operating freely in Tanzania, taking opportunities that should have been absorbed with local people.

With their huge capital outlays that enable them to bribe local government and central government authorities such as police and immigration departments, illegal foreign trading and employees were ruining the government efforts in fighting against poverty.

Reports say, most of the illegal workers and traders originate from Kenya, China, India, Pakistan, Thailand and other Asian countries and are considered as the 'ticking bomb' for immigration and investment policies in Tanzania.

Minister Chami has said his ministry and other stakeholders such as the ministries of Home Affairs, are responsible for immigration issues, ministry for Labour & Employment is responsible for granting work-permit while the Trade ministry is in a preliminary stages of initiating a crackdown.

He said, starting from January next year, the crackdown will start in Dar es Salaam region which is described as the most affected region, before going to other regions including Mwanza, Arusha and Mbeya metropolises.

“Culprits are given advance notice to prepare to park and go, as the government is arranging for a strong operation that may led into confrontational measures,” he told Business Times in an exclusive interview.

Chami gave a warning to all foreign traders mainly in city centres who are operating petty businesses which are not in their agreement or within work permit they asked to work while in the country.

Thus reporting as advising the foreign traders in the country who divert from their office of origin to work as Machingas including those operaors in Kariakoo and other places in the city centres.

However, there are other illegal foreign workers from East Africa, mainly Kenyans who comes in Tanzania and obtain all resident's privileges such as passports, buying land and other are being employed in local and foreign companies, pretending that they were Tanzanians.

Business Times investigation has revealed that the illegal migrant workers are involved in non-contractual employment, mainly freelance sales and marketing, while other were already established small business units within the cities.

Without giving specific noted groups who are operating businesses in the country suspected some have not registered or applied and given mandate to operate such businesses such as selling secondhand clothing (Mitumba) and many more, observations have it a number of Chinese, Japanese and Thai nationals are working in different businesses.

“Tanzania does not want to expel any legal business or foreign workers in the county, but we are not going to allow illegal migrants to work in the country as even in every country is not entertaining an lawfully businesses,” Chami expresses.

Tanzania has allow trade liberation which allows all nations to invest in different businesses, provided the laid down regulations are observed, which has noted a bundle of petty traders coming to open shops and other businesses sometimes illegally collaborating with local people.

Impromptu unofficial surveying conducted by some officials from the government have noted that almost a third businesses mainly the sell of imported items from the Asian countries, are owned by the Chinese, Japanese, Singapore and Thailand, excluding Indians who are almost posing as permanent and legal migrants in the country.

Chami was making an acclimatation visit of the ministry´s key departments over the weekend in Dar es Salaam.

In welcoming remarks at Business Registration & Licencing Agency (BReLA) chief executive officer, Esteriano Mahingila, said his organization was planning to construct own building costing Tsh3bn follows that the working environment in the current building was not conducive as they were simply hired.

“We have have a plot along Mirambo road in the city where iff everything goes as planned, the work is expected to begin some few months to come,” the CEO assured the minister and Brela stakeholders in general.

Brela, which is the national business register and licensing agency is the only government entity entrusted to work in five laws which is given the mandate to register all business and give licenses.

Of late BReLA has opened its network whereby business registration is accessed through Internet the point which has been reported to be an advance stage of development, moving from manual since inception over a decade ago.
 
Back
Top Bottom