No longer on hooks: Government finally lifts the ban slapped against labour exporter Middle East Consultants

KAMPALA, Uganda: The embattled labour export company, Middle East Consultants Limited has finally been cleared by the government and are at business as usual, the Labor Ministry has announced.

In a letter dated 20^th January, 2020, lifting the earlier ban on the company, the Labour Ministry’s Permanent Secretary James Ebitu declared that their license has been re-instated and are allowed to freely carry out business. “Reference is made to your letter Re: MC/GEN/20/CN dated 16^th January 2020 and the meeting that was held on the 20^th January 2020 at the Ministry…”

Ebitu continues that in the same meeting attended by Middle East Consultants, the representatives of the complainants and officials of the Ministry, “further reference is made to the Memorandum of Understanding dated 21^st January 2020 between Middle East Consultants Ltd and the complainants. The Administration has considered the appeal against the suspension of the company’s license and accordingly lifted the same,” reads part, Ebitu’s letter.

Addressing the letter to the Managing Director, the head of administration at the ministry further wrote thus; “The purpose of this letter therefore is to inform you that suspension of your company’s license has been lifted with effect from the date of issue of this letter. You are further urged to remain compliant at all times with the Regulations and Guidelines on labor externalization.”

While issuing a statement on the current operations’ status of the company, Andrew Sseguya, the Public Relations Manager for Middle East Consultants Limited confirmed the ban lift and said they were back to normal business. “Our License that was previously recalled by the ministry but it has since been re-instated and our operations are back to normal.”

Speaking from their offices premised on plot 21/31, Tank Hill Road in Muyenga, Sseguya said they were now open and “duly executing our mandate as per the institution regulatory requirements.”

Middle East Consultants Limited, one of the government accredited companies to export labour, has been in operation for eight years and has offered services to Ugandans from all walks of life, irrespective of their political and religious affiliations.

“To realize our vision, the company has been able to recruit, organize and deploy over 19,940 (Nineteen thousand nine hundred and forty) Ugandans in different job portfolios across the world,” Sseguya further noted that most Ugandans who have gone through their hands have turned to be instrumental in the development of their families, communities and the country at large.

Late last year (2019) and early this year (2020), a number of media houses reported on how middle East was battling with cases of refund to many recruits who had been delayed for long to be placed for jobs in UAE, even after most of them had made partial payments to the company.

“While it is true that some of our staff members were arraigned before authorities, it is not true that the company has been found guilty, as some negative characters have tried to put it using mainstream and social media.” Sseguya alleges of negative efforts by some individuals who “are hired to damage our reputation, credibility and trust that we have tirelessly built for close to a decade.”

He reassures that the company has significantly been at the center of transforming the labor export industry, leading to revolutionizing the efficiency, convenience and effectiveness in the industry. He however admits that the company’s operations were suspended mainly as a result of a problem with communication gaps between them and the line ministry.