Government warned job agencies charging fees that they risk prosecution for obtaining money by false pretences from unsuspecting desperate job seekers.
Minister of Labour and Sports Chishimba Kambwili has also said Government will soon be carrying out an audit to establish how much the employment agencies have collected from ‘clients’.
The country, whose job market both in the formal and informal sectors is limited and estimated at only 11 percent, has experienced a rapid rise in the number of employment agencies, which are charging unsuspecting employment seekers.
This is contrary to the Employment Act section 59(2), which states that the employment agency shall not charge the prospective employee for any services rendered.
Mr Kambwili said in an interview in Lusaka that the Labour Commissioner will conduct a comprehensive audit of all institutions operating as employment agencies around the country.
“I am warning them, and let them not take this lightly because we will soon take tough action against them.
“We will be carrying out an audit of how much they have collected from people. If they are found to have collected money, they will be prosecuted for obtaining money by false pretences,” he said.
Mr Kambwili said Government will not tolerate the situation because it borders on deception and is aimed at extorting money from “desperate” employment seekers.
He said Government is also working towards updating labour statistics.
Mr Kambwili said it is unfortunate that the previous MMD government had not compiled the statistics, which are key to providing vital information for job creation.
“I will next week be sending the Labour Commissioner to audit these bogus (employment) agencies. We are moving in swiftly and we will definitely take action. We do not want this to continue…we are not going to allow this like the MMD did,” Mr Kambwili said.
He urged Zambians to desist from using bogus employment agencies because they are mostly bent on extracting monies from people.
Mr Kambwili said Government is also aware of some bogus employment agencies that have devised sophisticated means to extract money from employment seekers via short text message (SMS) service.
“We are aware of all this nonsense and we are not going to sit and allow these bogus companies to swindle people out of money on the pretext that they are finding jobs for them. They should not take advantage of people who are desperate and looking for employment,” he said.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Bogus! Does this highly educated minister know the term he is using? Blame game everyday! just explain your stategies for the ministry without refering to the past regine for christ’s sake you people.
Hats of for you Hon Kabmwili, it’s high time govt got to the bottom of this issue because a lot of people including uni graduates have been swindled. Mr Minister target those chaps who place Ads in The Post newspaper located either in city market, Lumumba and in some these high buildings in town!!
@ No. 1, Yes, all this blame MMD for everything business (…not to mention the name calling against UPND) makes you wonder who really has the “ax to grind”. Please, PF just get on with governing!
As for the case at hand… are the “agencies” charging advance fees and then failing to find the client actual employment? If so, this is advance fee fraud and some public awareness-building to help people avoid the scam should be introduced. A clampdown alone will never work since criminals will always find a way to resurface if their crime is profitable. Or, are the agencies only charging fees after they find someone a job in which case this could be a valuable service of matching job seekers and employers? My guess is the former, so again, a clampdown alone will never work.
You pay them before they find you a job. I paid them some money to help me get a house keeping job/maid. They just take money and never tell anyone that there’s no job. Just reminds me of what I went through after high school.
Thanks, Ethel. I’m really sorry to hear about your bad experience! Maybe GRZ should start placing ads in the papers (next to the ones of the job agencies) warning people not to pay advance fees to these so-called employment brokers? There are all kinds of job scams and other types of advance fee fraud out there on the internet too so always good to be VERY suspicious of anyone who asks for payment in advance. Better luck next time!
Labour Brokers are a nuisance. We must setup employment centres in all dictricts where the unemployed will register, and when vacancies occur, they will be contacted to report for interviews and subsequent recruitment.
what mr kambwili should do is create employment then everyone can benefit.
chi kabwiili real cader and former luanshya copper dealer! anyway i stop here, this web is not friendly with opposition, it is protected.
It is high time the right information got to these people who have taken advantage of the high unemployment levels in Zambia. Let the law be respected and observed at all costs.
Start with PROSOFT.
ooh, what a handsome man….
Hats off Hon. Kambwili!!! Please cleanse Immigration department. This is the department that is still swimming in corruption. How come they issue work permits even to labourers?? They are highly corrupteable indeed. This govt department must be urgently investigated. I made to believe they charge US $5,000 per work permit issued to foreign. One known longest serving Philipino at KCM Plc has revealed this to me, today. He is a mechanic and he went to renew his work permit this morning and has obtained after corrupting the immigration office with US $5,000. Shame….!!!
It is Sakeni to cleanse immigration department and not Hon. Kambwili. And knowing how vigorously Hon. Sakeni is, he will definetly cleanse immigration department of these corrupt practices.
at least this gov has mentioned the word JOBS. they last mentioned it when they were in opposition
Am happy the govt has finaaly woen up on this matter. Just recently sum crooks advertised job openings indicating high salaries that attracted millions of job hunters. when called for interviews one was askes to bring a 50 pin. imagine how much they made.
Well spoken ba Kambwili. Protect your people. I feel this should alos be extended to clooeges and universities that charge exorbitant fees for a 2 plain papers as application forms. Imagine buying 2 photocopied papers at 100pin and 150pin at Chainama and UNZA.
BWANA MINISTER ITS HIGH TIME YOU SERIOUSLY STARTED CONTEMPLATING THE GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHING JOB CENTRES (WHICH WERE PREVIOUSLY CALLED LABOUR OFFICES) IN ZAMBIA. bE INNOVATIVE IN THIS NEW PF GOVERNMENT. TIME FOR JUST SIGNING CHEQUES WITHOUT YOUR INNOVATIVE INPUT WENT WITH RB AND MMD EVACUATION FROM OFFICE. WHENEVER YOU SEE PEOPLE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE POOR, JUST KNOW THAT THERE’S A LOOPHOLE TO SEAL- LABOUR OFFICES MAY BE SEALANTS.
…THIS IS THE SAME THING #4 IS TALKING ABOUT BUT IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE AS HE SEEMS TO RESIDE IN THE US.
#5 HIS MINISTRY SHOULD ALSO BE CONCERNED WITH CAPACITY BUILDING IN HAND WITH EMPLOYMENT CREATION. DEVELOPED MANPOWER RESOURCE WILL BEEF UP JOB CENTRES/EMPLOYMENT CENTRES/ OR LABOUR OFFICES AS THEY WERE KNOWN IN ZAMBIA A FEW YEARS AGO.
this good thats y we worked our backs to vote for MCS and PF i knew he ll bring diginity to us zambians. Kambwili the real man this is the ministry thats suits you not one were you were just talking to chocholi(chinese) ambassabor
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