Government plans to simplify work, residence permit processes

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After synchronising systems, foreigners will no longer have to wait for a week to get their work and residence permits

Dodoma. Foreigners might be able to access work and residence permits in 24 hours after applying as the government looks forward to synchronising issuance of the permits digitally.
Deputy minister of State in the Prime Minister’s office (Parliament Affairs, Labour, Employment and Disabled), Mr Anthony Mavunde, revealed this in the Parliament yesterday when responding to a question posed by the Wawi Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Ahmed Ngwali (CUF).
On Monday, Mr Ngwali faulted the government for unnecessary bureaucracy in the issuance of work and residence permits.
According to the MP, currently, it takes up to six months to obtain a work permit, attributing the problem to the Tanzania Investment Centre’s lack of autonomy on a number of key decisions.
Nonetheless, Mr Mavunde refuted the claims.
According to him there was no any investor, who waited for work and residence permits for six months. According to him, it only takes seven days for one to obtain a work permit, disclosing that after synchronisation of the issuance system electronically, an applicant could obtain a permit within 24 hours.
“In a fresh bid to get rid of bureaucracy, we are in the process of integrating the two systems related to work and residence permits so that people can spend fewer days in getting both permits instead of applying them separately,” said Mr Mavunde.