Joint online platform launched for a radical reform of the foreign labour file
The federation will determine the jobs foreigners are allowed to do according to the sector's needs and without infringing the rights of Egyptian workers
Joint committee to follow up implementation of the new permit system, with periodic progress reports
In a move seen as a major shift in regulating the tourism labour market and developing the investment environment, the Egyptian Tourism Federation signed a cooperation protocol with the Ministry of Labour to regulate the status of foreign workers in the tourism sector, facilitate the procedures for issuing permits, and curb the informal practices the sector has suffered from for many years.
The protocol was signed by Minister of Labour Mohamed Gebran and Hossam El-Shaer, Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Federation, in the presence of Nasser Turky, Vice Chairman of the federation, and Mohamed Batikh, Head of the federation's Legal Affairs Sector.
For his part, Hossam El-Shaer said the protocol is a long-awaited event, more than 15 years in the making, noting that it will end the chaos of foreigners working in tourism activities and ensure the protection of Egyptian workers, while at the same time meeting tourism establishments' needs for specialised expertise, as happens in global tourist destinations.
El-Shaer explained that the previous procedures for obtaining a foreign work permit were extremely complicated and could take more than a year, while the new protocol sets out a clear and fast mechanism for issuing permits in less than a week, removing all obstacles as long as the situation is legal and complies with the controls adopted by the federation itself to protect local jobs.
El-Shaer praised Minister of Labour Mohamed Gebran for his continuous support and serious cooperation with the tourism sector, stressing that the protocol will bring about a qualitative leap in regulating the labour market and pave the way for a more competitive and stable climate for the tourism industry as one of the pillars of the national economy.
The federation's chairman stressed that close cooperation with the Minister of Labour has resulted in a move to fully automate the procedures for obtaining work permits, with a unified digital platform to be set up for submitting work permit applications for foreigners, allowing applications to be examined quickly and data to be exchanged electronically, eventually reaching the issuance of permits within hours in the advanced stages of the platform's development.
El-Shaer added that the protocol will end the violating practices that have harmed the industry for many years, explaining that the federation will determine the jobs foreigners are allowed to do according to the sector's needs only, and without infringing on the rights of Egyptian workers or competing with them for job opportunities.
In a related context, Nasser Turky, Vice Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Federation, stressed that the protocol will achieve great stability in the tourism labour market and restore discipline to the foreign labour file, which has suffered greatly from the absence of clear rules.
Turky stated that the first implementation step will be the formation of a joint committee between the Ministry of Labour and the federation to draw up the action plan and implementation timetable, supervise the new digital platform, and follow up the issuance of permits in accordance with the agreed controls.
He added that the committee will hold periodic meetings to remove any obstacles and will submit joint reports on the progress made, expecting the protocol to be widely welcomed by the tourism sector for the transparency, organisation and support for investment it provides.
Features of the Protocol
The protocol includes a number of key objectives, including:
Unifying the controls for issuing work permits and facilitating their issuance procedures, up to the electronic automation of the system.
Enhancing the exchange of information and expertise in line with the requirements of the tourism labour market.
Cooperation between the two parties to set the rules regulating the issuance of permits.
Providing the necessary technical support and exchanging relevant technical and administrative data and information.
The Ministry of Labour commits to the following:
Issuing a ministerial decree to regulate implementation of the protocol.
Issuing work permits for foreign workers for a period of one year.
Following up the progress of procedures and issuing the necessary instructions and recommendations to facilitate cooperation.
Coordinating with the federation to determine the jobs foreigners are allowed to do, in order to preserve the rights and opportunities of Egyptian workers.
The Egyptian Tourism Federation also commits to the following:
Circulating the regulating rules to tourism establishments.
Cooperating with the Ministry of Labour to set up a unified digital platform to automate permit application procedures.
Preparing periodic reports showing implementation results and rates of progress.
It was agreed to form a joint committee of the two parties to manage and follow up the implementation of the protocol's provisions, set timetables and technical, administrative and financial controls, and settle amicably any disputes that may arise, with full commitment to the confidentiality of the information and data exchanged.
