By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – Plans are afoot to increase employment opportunities for qualified citizens.
This was revealed by the Minister of Labour and Social Services-MoLSA Dr Abdi Aw Dahir during a press briefing in Hargeisa.
Dr Aw Dahir informed that pursuant to determination of the administration to increase employment opportunity a multi-pronged meeting brainstorming the topic was held in his offices.
Participants at the employment enhancement meeting included the Ministers of MoLSA, Interior, Commerce, Planning and their deputies respectively as well as the Principal Immigration officer.
“While we agreed on establishing guidelines towards creating employment opportunities in the country” said Dr Aw Dahir
Adding that there are a lot of qualified citizens currently unemployed the Minister said that the strategizing meeting was unanimous in ensuring that there are no expatriates working in jobs that can b handled by locals.
“The government will from now henceforth scrutinize all expatriates as a prelude to deterrence of soliciting, abroad, skills that are available in the country.
Various institutions in both the private and public sectors and Non Governmental Organizations in Somaliland are employers to hundreds of foreigners.
This is not the first time for the government to target expatriates as a means of creating jobs for the large number of unemployed graduates in the country.
In August 2013 the ministry of Labour and Social services relased a press statement reading “All private sector employers, International and Local NGOs as well as UN bodies are asked to register their employees both local and Expatriates”
The essence behind the 2013 move was to establish an employee data bank thus ensure that foreigners do not hold jobs that citizens can perform.
in the same year the minister of planning in whose docket lies cordination of INGO’s and other internatiional agencdies operating in Somaliland appealed to these institutions to employ more locals apparently n pursuit of job creatiion.
