THE Federal Government has inaugurated a 9-man Special Ministerial Task Force on monitoring and enforcement of Nigerian Expatriate Business Permit and Expatriate Quota Administration in the country, vowing to sanction companies that violate the provisions of the law.
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola who inaugurated the task force in Tuesday in Abuja said this became imperative in view of abuses and gross violations of the expatriate quota policy by foreign investors.
Aregbesola in his speech said that the Expatriate Quota policy was aimed at encouraging foreign investors to invest in our economy and also bring with it high-level manpower development and ensure technology transfer in the country if the grooming of Nigerian understudies is done in good faith.
He regretted that there have been abuses and gross violations of this laudable policy.
This he said, include but not limited to companies employing expatriates without approval from the ministry; allegations of companies obtaining fake permits for their expats; companies half-hearted or non-commitment to grooming Nigerian understudies; companies recruiting fewer than required understudies and giving them non-commensurate remunerations.
Others include, illegal transfers of approvals between and among firms and expatriates; failure to train Nigerian understudies up to the standard of the expats they are being groomed to replace; and expats staying on their jobs for more than 10 years.
All these abuses and violations, the minister said, have conspired to defeat the purpose of the policy and so deprive the nation of the intended benefits.
“This situation is not sustainable and we should not continue with it. I have therefore directed that a nine-member special task force that will monitor and enforce the Nigerian expatriate quota terms and conditions be empanelled with the following terms of reference: audit all documentary requirements presented by all Expatriate Quota applicants for approval/renewal from 2015 to date;
“Verify compliance with all statutory returns as stipulated in the Ministry of Interior Regulation 2017; Verify compliance with the mandatory two understudies for each Expatriate Quota position in terms of the qualification of the Nigerian understudy and remuneration;
“Verify compliance with the mandatory training programmes (local and foreign) for the Nigerian understudies; Calculate all fines and penalties due from non-compliance with the terms and conditions and recommend appropriate remediation, sanction or prosecution;
“Recommend appropriate structure for sustainable continuous monitoring, evaluation and enforcement of the terms and conditions for the approval of Expatriate Quota: and Embark on such other assignments as may be directed by the Minister of Interior.”
Aregbesola who appealed to foreign companies, nationals and their governments to begin to respect laws, adding that it would no longer be business as usual.
He, therefore, called on the task force to see their assignment which they are expected to complete in 180 days as a patriotic duty.
From August 2019 to date, Aregbesola said, 1,182 companies have received the Minister’s approval with 12,374 expatriate quota positions.
Responding, the Chairman of the Special Ministerial Task Force, Honourable Bola Ilori thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for granting them the opportunity to serve Nigeria and promised that the committee will carry out the assignment which is aimed at generating employment for Nigerian youths and to ensure that foreigners respect our laws.
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