Immigration firms 'get tough'
20/04/2006 21:09

Johannesburg - Three major immigration consultant groups said on Thursday they were soliciting help from foreign chambers to push South Africa to ease work permit rules they say hamper investment.

South Africa's department of home affairs has been widely criticised for its failure to deal with work permit applications, locking out workers with much needed skills and undermining the country's drive to create jobs and boost growth.

Accounting firms PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG and Deloitte said they were circulating a letter among foreign business chambers to be sent to ministers outside home affairs, calling for a relaxation of rules governing work permits.

Taking matter further

Lino De Ponte, head of Deloitte's immigration section said: "We're taking the matter further, we can't have the president and deputy asking companies to bring investments into the country while they are not able to keep their staff.

"I know four international banks which cannot send their chief executives to South Africa and an oil company that is not sure if it should be headquartered here because it cannot keep its staff in the country."

Top officials - including deputy president Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka - have highlighted a gaping skills shortage as one of the main obstacles to faster growth in Africa's biggest economy, which would help reduce a jobless rate of 26%.

Last month she unveiled a broad skills acquisition programme which involves urging retired professionals to go back to work, encouraging emigres to return and recruiting of foreigners with priority skills.

Revised immigration laws

South Africa revised its immigration laws last July in an attempt to streamline existing rules, but the step also removed exemptions under which skilled foreigners work in the country.

Cleopatra Mosana, spokesperson for the home affairs minister, said she was puzzled by the furore.

Mosana said: "The regulations are intended to make it easier for people to bring skills into the country. Besides, we have not had any formal complaint from any multinational writing to us saying we have such a problem."

Information supplied by www.fin24.co.za