Category: Author’s post

Serbia and RMV, a joint labor market in Albania and “visa-free” workers in Open Balkans

The Open Balkans Agreement for a common labor market allows Albanian citizens to work in Serbia and North Macedonia.
According to this agreement between Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia, citizens can go to work without obstacles and paper bureaucracy in any of the two countries they are not residents of.
They launched the initiative to keep employees in the region at one of the Open Balkans summits in December 2021, and the governments of the three countries are already finalizing it to allow citizens to work and live freely in each of the states.
The agreement states that a personal identification number is necessary for citizens of Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia, who want to be employed in one of the members of the Open Balkans or have already found an employer. It is possible to register electronically, initially with a form on the e-Government platform, and with an identification document to get this number.
A request for free access to the labor market can be submitted by the interested part on the e-government portal of a given country.
The population of the three countries together is currently estimated at about 11 million inhabitants, and Serbia has 30,000 vacancies for doctors, nurses, craftsmen and technicians. Albanian private service companies also have many empty places, while seasonal employees are mainly accepted in North Macedonia so far. Perhaps, the new approach will make it announce its offers as well.

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Average $175 raise in pay is promised to 37,000 teachers by Georgian PM

An average increase of ₾500 ($174.53) in salaries starting on July 1 was promised to 37,000 teachers across the country (70 percent of the total number working in the profession) by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday.
₾800 ($279.25) more in their monthly pay would be received by a “certain category” of teachers.
The continuous character of reforms in education and their extension to all areas of the sphere over the next four years were emphasized by the PM.
As Georgian Education Minister Giorgi Amilakhvari told the country’s Parliament last week, his office’s plans for the national general education system aimed to “strengthen patriotism, national spirit, national identity, state thinking, respect for the family institution and general and universal values in students”.
According to him, the first approval of an updated vision was marked by the plan since 2004, following “extensive discussions” and “active involvement” of schools. The plan included MPs strengthening the autonomy of general educational institutions and providing schools with “more academic freedom”.
Construction and renovation of over 170 schools at a total cost of ₾915 million ($319.40mln) was additionally announced by the Minister.

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Germany doubles quota for Western Balkan workers

Western Balkan workers who want to reach Germany for work purposes will be positively affected by Germany’s third stage of the Skilled Immigration Act entered into force on June 1, 2024.
The introduction of a new Opportunity Card and the increased number of work visas granted under the Western Balkans Regulation are the two most important changes. The number of temporary work visas granted to nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia under the Western Balkans Regulation will double.
A points system is the basis of the Opportunity Card. Foreigners recognized as skilled workers and to those who have at least six points using the points system will get the document.
Completion of at least two years of vocational training or holding a university degree as well as possession of sufficient German or English language proficiency, at A1 or B1 level, respectively, must be proved by nationals of non-EU countries willing to reach Germany for work purposes to obtain an Opportunity Card. They will be able to look for a job for up to 12 months or for additional two years.

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Bilateral talks between CS Bore and Kazakhstan’s Labor vice minister are held

Opportunities for Kenyan workers in Kazakhstan and the establishment of a consulate of Kenya in Kazakhstan were in the center of the discussions between Labour Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore and Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister for Labor Akmadi Sarbassov held on the sidelines of the ongoing International Labor Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
According to Bore, this high-level dialogue was focused on the mutual interests of Kenya and Kazakhstan in the labour sector, especially on the complementation of the demand and supply of labour between the two countries and creating opportunities for Kenyan workers in Kazakhstan.
She also noted that the demand for English and Science teachers in the Central Asian country presents a substantial opportunity for Kenyan educators.
Bore said that Kenya has a robust pool of qualified teachers who can fulfil this demand and foster educational ties between the two nations.
The two other opportunities for Kenyans beyond education are technicians and health professionals.
According to Bore, Kenyan professionals have the potential to serve in various sectors in Kazakhstan, for example, bilateral cooperation in technical fields or in the healthcare sector which continues to expand and requires skilled healthcare professionals.
The draft Bilateral Labour Agreement for Labour Migration has been considered by the team. It will streamline the migration of workers between Kenya and Kazakhstan and will manage the process with the aim to protect workers’ rights, follow employment standards and make the labor migration safe and profitable for the both countries.

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Access to Serbian labor market for foreign nationals is eased.

A total of 13,464 work permits has been issued to foreigners by Serbia this year. Personal work permit was obtained by 321 individuals, asylum seekers got 12 permits (nine in Belgrade). Foreigners classified under special categories have got 16 work permits this year.
According to Svetlana Milović, a workforce analyst at the National Employment Service (NES), there is a flow of asylum seekers from different countries (Iran, Pakistan, Cuba, Burundi, Cameroon, Syria, Algeria, India and Russia). 83 work permits were issued by NES to Ukrainians.
According to the recent amendment to the Law on Foreigners and the Law on Employment of Foreigners, effective February 1, all foreign nationals, including refugees and asylum seekers, have streamlined access to Serbian labor market. It is necessary to highlight that a work permit is no longer required for refugees and asylum seekers, exactly as in European Union countries. Access to the labor market is gained six months after filing for asylum.
A work permit is no longer needed for individuals granted asylum in Serbia starting February 1. They also exempt them from high fees and complex administrative procedures. Unrestricted access to the labor market is provided to this demographic now, following the example of EU countries. The aim of the amendments is to enhance workforce integration, but they have also implemented some measures to safeguard the domestic labor market and to prioritize Serbian citizens for employment opportunities if necessary.
A labor market test must be conducted by the employers before hiring a foreigner. They have introduced quotas for certain industries. Sanja Granović from the Ministry of Labor and Employment has announced the cessation of the existence of the category of personal work permits in the system as of the upcoming fall.

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Amended tax code to annul tax debts of 145,842 individuals is approved by Parliament

Amendments into the tax code of the country that will write off tax debts totalling ₾591 million ($221.53mln) for 145,842 individuals and establish temporary tax reliefs for certain transactions were approved by the Parliament of Georgia on Wednesday.
According to Paata Kvizhinadze, the Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, they will fully write off the recognized tax debts incurred and unpaid before January 1, 2021 of all private entities, including individual entrepreneurs.
Tax reliefs for transfer of ownership rights to Georgian enterprises for all assets of foreign enterprises registered in the country with preferential taxation until January 1, 2028 are also established by the amended code.
As the legislative body said, the relevant operations would be exempted from profit, income and property taxes. They will exempt import of assets or goods into Georgia from import taxes within the scope of this operation, and they will exempt Georgian enterprises from property tax until January 1, 2030.

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The withdrawal of capital is being countered within the framework of tax administration

The results of tax control measures within the framework of countering capital outflow from the country show that taxes were additionally accrued in the amount of 17.7 billion tenge by the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement on the automatic exchange of information […]

According to Georgian PM, the number of unemployed has decreased by 50,600

As Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said on Monday, the number of unemployed individuals in the country had decreased by 50,600 people, down to 228,600.
According to Kobakhidze, the National Statistics Office published data reporting “positive dynamics” in employment indicators, for example, the decrease of unemployment in the first quarter to 14 percent, from 18 percent in the same period of 2023.
As the Government head added, the number of employed individuals had marked a 10.4 percent increase with the rise by 89,400 and reached 953,000 in total. The number of the self-employed had also risen by 40,500 and attained approximately 448,000.
Kobakhidze highlighted a positive impact of strong economic growth on employment indicators and a reduction in unemployment and the importance of maintaining the “positive” momentum.

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Travelling to Kazakhstan is inadvisable for Uzbek migrants with offenses in Russia

Recent enforcement measures resulting from bilateral agreements between Kazakhstan and Russia made the Agency for External Labour Migration under the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations of Uzbekistan issue a cautionary notice to Uzbek nationals who have committed offenses in Russia asking them to refrain from traveling to Kazakhstan.
The newly implemented system within Kazakhstan’s border and internal affairs authorities, based on agreements between Kazakhstan and Russia and focused on the recognition and enforcement of decisions in administrative and criminal cases, is the reason of this advisory.
The agreements make it possible to detain Uzbek citizens with recent offenses in Russia at the Kazakhstan border and to hold them in penal institutions until Russian authorities make final decisions regarding their violations.
The importance of understanding the risks associated with attempting to enter Kazakhstan after committing offenses in Russia and the possibility to face detention and legal consequences under Kazakhstani law are emphasized by the Agency for External Labour Migration.
The agency’s advice has been reinforced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan that urges Uzbeks to ensure they carry all necessary documents when entering or leaving Kazakhstan. The importance of checking for any obstacles to entering Kazakhstan or Russia, particularly in light of the mutual recognition and enforcement of legal decisions between the two countries, is highlighted by the ministry. Entry prohibitions or further legal complications in Kazakhstan can be caused by unpaid fines or other legal violations in Russia.
The need for Uzbek nationals to verify their legal status and ensure compliance with both Russian and Kazakhstan laws before attempting cross-border travel is also stressed by the ministry’s statement.

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Scrutiny of labor migrants from Tajikistan is intensified by Kazakhstan

According to Eurasianet, Kazakhstan scrutiny of labor migrants from neighboring Central Asian nations, Tajiks in particular, has been intensified after the late-March Krasnogorsk terrorist tragedy.
As Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported on May 7, a security sweep has been carried out across the country by Kazakh police.
A Tajik citizen who has been working in Kazakhstan for six years said that the situation for natives of Tajikistan has worsened: the police carry out raids are deport many people, even those with a temporary residence permit.
A data from a security operation carried out in the central region of Ulytau, during which 16 Tajik and Uzbek nationals were taken into custody for not having required work authorization was revealed by Kazakh police earlier in May.
Eurasianet reports that security inspections in shopping malls, markets and other venues where large crowds congregate have been conducted to ensure they have plans to contend with possible terror attacks. They had inspected 1,800 establishments for security procedures by the end of April and filed 180 administrative cases for regulatory violations.
Substantial numbers of guest workers from neighboring states, especially Uzbekistan, has traditionally been attracted by Kazakhstan, one of Central Asia’s most prosperous countries. International Organization for Migration (IOM) statistics report that almost 725,000 foreign nationals migrated to Kazakhstan between 2020-2023, mainly for work purposes. The majority of migrants during the four-year period was comprised by Uzbeks. The next two largest national groups of migrants were comprised by Russians and Tajiks.
A 2023 academic study, titled Perspectives on Labor Migration: Insights from Kazakhstan, reports that regulatory pace with the influx of guest workers has been kept up by the authorities.
According to the study, pressing challenges are being experienced by Kazakhstan’s labor migration management: a disparity between attracting labor migrants and effectively regulating their flow, a lack of tools to assess regional demand for skilled foreign workers, and inadequate systems to monitor migrant movement and placement.
Other gaps in the country’s labor migration framework, including violations of labor laws by migrants and employers, the employment or hiring of low-skilled foreign citizens without an employment contract, were highlighted by a separate 2023 academic study, Labor Migration: A view from Kazakhstan. The fact that that some guest workers endured “restriction of personal freedom” and “wage discrimination was also noted by the study.
Tajik citizens going to Kazakhstan got a caution to be prepared for heightened security measures from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan on May 7.

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