Govt sets limit on foreigners in private industrial parks
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Doulot Akter Mala
The government has imposed curbs on the number of foreigners a company can employ in a private export processing zone (PEPZ) to ensure better opportunities for local managers and experts, according to a newly framed policy.
A company shall keep the number of foreigners to a maximum five per cent of its total workforce and employ them only in technical and senior management jobs, the policy approved last month said.
The restrictions have been imposed as the country's first private industrial park, the Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ), is set to start operation on a 2500 acres of land in Chittagong early next year.
The KEPZ has said it would create more than a hundred thousands jobs, with most of the investment coming from abroad. Some local conglomerates have also lined up to set up private EPZs to woo foreign investment.
The board of governors of privte export processing zones (PEPZ) okayed the policy in a bid to forestall moves by any company to hire excess number of foreigners at the expense of local workers.
"All entrepreneurs and investors will have to follow the government guidelines while employing foreign nationals in their companies," said an order issued by Dr. Md. Nununabi Mridha, director general of PEPZ executive cell and secretary of PEPZ board of governors.
The policy has been framed in line with the PEPZ Act, 1996, the order said.
"Employment of foreign nationals in PEPZ enterprises shall be restricted only to technical people to posts for which no local expertise are available," the policy said.
The new policy allows a limited number of appointments of foreigners at top management positions, especially those who will take policy decisions of the company or look after its overall management.
Investors will, however, have to arrange adequate training programme for local managers and experts so that they can replace the foreigners within a short period of time, the policy said.
The new policy has also pre-emptively curbed any move by the companies to pay poor salaries to Bangladeshi technical hands or top managers.
"Employment and other service conditions of Bangladeshi nationals should normally be the same as those of the foreign employees of equal status with the exception that the latter may be allowed 'overseas allowance' not exceeding one-third of their salaries," the policy said.
Investors will have to take prior permission from the PEPZ executive cell before employing foreign nationals, whether in a salaried positions or on commission basis, it said.
For existing foreign employees in the PEPZ, investors have to take permission for renewal or extension of service contracts, it added.
Investors will have to take clearances from the executive cell of the PEPZ for extension of visas and remittance of salary, the policy said.
All enterprises in the PEPZ which employ foreign nationals will have to submit yearly personnel return of their expat workers to the PEPZ executive cell, furnishing information on nationality, period of employment, salaries, allowances and other facilities, the policy said.
The government has imposed curbs on the number of foreigners a company can employ in a private export processing zone (PEPZ) to ensure better opportunities for local managers and experts, according to a newly framed policy.
A company shall keep the number of foreigners to a maximum five per cent of its total workforce and employ them only in technical and senior management jobs, the policy approved last month said.
The restrictions have been imposed as the country's first private industrial park, the Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ), is set to start operation on a 2500 acres of land in Chittagong early next year.
The KEPZ has said it would create more than a hundred thousands jobs, with most of the investment coming from abroad. Some local conglomerates have also lined up to set up private EPZs to woo foreign investment.
The board of governors of privte export processing zones (PEPZ) okayed the policy in a bid to forestall moves by any company to hire excess number of foreigners at the expense of local workers.
"All entrepreneurs and investors will have to follow the government guidelines while employing foreign nationals in their companies," said an order issued by Dr. Md. Nununabi Mridha, director general of PEPZ executive cell and secretary of PEPZ board of governors.
The policy has been framed in line with the PEPZ Act, 1996, the order said.
"Employment of foreign nationals in PEPZ enterprises shall be restricted only to technical people to posts for which no local expertise are available," the policy said.
The new policy allows a limited number of appointments of foreigners at top management positions, especially those who will take policy decisions of the company or look after its overall management.
Investors will, however, have to arrange adequate training programme for local managers and experts so that they can replace the foreigners within a short period of time, the policy said.
The new policy has also pre-emptively curbed any move by the companies to pay poor salaries to Bangladeshi technical hands or top managers.
"Employment and other service conditions of Bangladeshi nationals should normally be the same as those of the foreign employees of equal status with the exception that the latter may be allowed 'overseas allowance' not exceeding one-third of their salaries," the policy said.
Investors will have to take prior permission from the PEPZ executive cell before employing foreign nationals, whether in a salaried positions or on commission basis, it said.
For existing foreign employees in the PEPZ, investors have to take permission for renewal or extension of service contracts, it added.
Investors will have to take clearances from the executive cell of the PEPZ for extension of visas and remittance of salary, the policy said.
All enterprises in the PEPZ which employ foreign nationals will have to submit yearly personnel return of their expat workers to the PEPZ executive cell, furnishing information on nationality, period of employment, salaries, allowances and other facilities, the policy said.