Ministry of Trade informs NA Committee
By Arret Jatta
The permanent secretary at the Ministry of Trade, Regional Integration, and Employment, Mod Secka, on Tuesday informed the National Assembly Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade that Gambian migrants participating in the circular migration agreement with Saudi Arabia are set to earn US$200 per month which is approximately D14,200.
However, PS Secka noted that the government is actively negotiating for higher wages.
“The government is trying to negotiate for more but the US$200 excludes their food, medication and housing because all those are covered in the scheme,” he said.
PS Secka further explained that the recruitment process involves Saudi Arabia’s Mosanet system, which has created some challenges for local agencies, adding that these agencies must be trained and granted access to the system, and as of now, only three agencies have successfully completed the required training.
“In addition to that, the recruiting agencies have started the recruiting process in which two of the agencies have gone very far. One of them is Gamjobs. So far it has enlisted 8,139 potential participants but given the process, only 12 of them have got visas and 40 have already been on the Mosanet, and were processed. The other agency is Outsource and they have enlisted 1,335 Gambians and out of that so far, ten visas have been given while 55 are in processing,” he explained.
He also informed members that his Minister traveled to Saudi Arabia with the aim of engaging Saudi counterparts on ways to implement the agreements and address issues related to access.
“There are also opportunities that were extended during this meeting. Before, each agency in The Gambia was allowed to work with four sub-agents, but now it has been extended. Each agent can work with seven sub-agencies now. Having said that, there would also be capacity building training. Some Saudis will come over and help the agencies who are registered to build their capacity,” he explained.
He further informed the committee that the ministry has signed a framework agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources.
Regarding the situation in Spain, Secka stated that discussions are still ongoing, and no agreement has been reached yet regarding the wage structure for migrants to that country.
