Uncategorized Archives - Page 208 of 217

Obama signs Africa electricity initiative into law

Washington – President Barack Obama signed into law on Monday a measure aimed at expanding electricity to millions of households in sub-Saharan Africa, a measure supporters say will save lives and accelerate growth on the continent.

The Electrify Africa Act, which unanimously passed the House of Representatives and Senate, leverages partnerships with the private sector in order to bring first-time electricity access to some 50 million people in underserved parts of Africa.

Virtually no new US federal funds are allocated for the project, which instead will use a system of loan guarantees to add 20 000 megawatts of electricity to the continent’s grid by 2020.

This article was originally published here

Guinea, Uncategorized

GUINEA IMMIGRATAION MATTERS (Jan. 29, 2016) – Employers required to submit Africanization plans

IMPACT – MEDIUM
What is the change? The Republic of Guinea has adopted new work permit rules that require employers hiring foreign workers to train local workers. The government has also increased the annual duty on work permits and designated certain jobs for Guinean workers only.
What does the change mean? Employers hiring foreign nationals must obtain authorization from the public employment service and the Guinean Agency for the Promotion of Employment (AGUIPE) and submit an Africanization plan that sets out the employer’s steps to train Guinean nationals for jobs held by foreign workers.
Implementation time frame: Immediate. Companies currently employing foreign workers who were hired before the new rule was adopted will have 90 days to submit Africanization plans.
Visas/permits affected: Work permits.
Who is affected: Companies hiring foreign nationals. Nationals of ECOWAS member states are not affected.
Impact on processing times: The requirement that employers submit an Africanization plan may lengthen the overall process.
Business impact: The measures seek to protect the local work force and make sure employers have plans to transition skills to Guinean workers.
Next steps: Companies with foreign staff holding supervisory and senior executive roles should prepare their Africanization plans. Companies already employing foreign nationals must submit the plans within the 90-day deadline. Companies applying for work permits must submit the plan with their applications.
Background: According to a ministerial order on regulating foreign labor, employers must submit Africanization plans to train Guinean nationals for jobs held by foreigners. Plans must be executed within two years for supervisory positions and four years for senior executives. AGUIPE will review the plans before issuing work permits.
In other changes, the government has increased the annual duty that employers must pay each year on work permits from US$300 to US$1,000 and has issued a list of protected jobs that may only be occupied by Guinean nationals. The list includes jobs in manufacturing, maintenance and repair, transport, construction, agriculture and others.
BAL Analysis: Employers should be aware of the new requirements to put in place training and transition programs. To avoid potential delays in processing, companies should make their Africanization plans available as soon as possible.

Uncategorized

New Localization Requirement for Employers Hiring Foreign Workers

Employers in the Republic of Guinea that seek to hire non-Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) workers must comply with a localization plan requirement. Employers who already employ non-ECOWAS foreign workers have 90 days to provide their Africanization plan.

Key requirements of each Africanization plan include the following:

• The employer must provide an outline of its plans to train Guinean executives;
• The plan must include an authorization from the public employment service and the Guinean Agency Promoting Employment (AGUIPE); and
• The implementation time must not exceed two years for supervisors and four years for higher positions.

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals

Employers should be prepared to submit Africanization plans with new work permit applications, and should contact their immigration professional to prepare plans for their current workers.

The review of the Africanization plan may delay work permit approvals.

If Africans Don’t Exploit Opportunities In African Logistics, Foreigners Will

Global logistics and transportation firms have expanded operations in Africa despite infrastructure challenges — or because of them — in a sector that holds huge potential and opportunities for investors, according to a guest column in AfricaTimes by entrepreneur and legal consultant Erukilede Julius.
The shipping numbers speak to the positive outlook for Africa’s logistics business, said Charles Brewer, managing director of DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa, a leading logistics company. In light of the economic pressure Europe is experiencing, DHL’s dependency on Europe has been reduced, while Intra-Africa trade has picked up significantly, Brewer said.
E-commerce has helped to grow African logistics business. More Africans are buying online rather than at physical shops. The size of the outsourced logistics market in Africa has grown by 38.4 percent in the last four years.