Unguja. The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar (RGZ) has admitted it does not maintain specific statistics on professional positions advertised for foreigners due to a shortage of qualified local experts.
However, over the five years from 2020 to 2025, the government, through the Labour Commission, collected Sh12.468 billion from work permits and employment contracts issued to foreign workers.
Under the Employment Act No. 11 of 2005, clear conditions govern the employment of foreigners, including a requirement to advertise a post if no qualified local expert is available in a particular field.
In addition, once a foreigner is employed, he or she must train a local successor to assume the position upon expiry of the contract.
The disclosure was made on Monday, February 16, 2026, in the House of Representatives by the Minister of State, Office of the Second Vice President, Policy, Coordination and House of Representatives, Mr Hamza Hassan Juma.
He said the government had not previously identified the data gap but would now begin collecting the information across relevant sectors.
Mr Juma was responding to a question from the Representative for Ole, Mr Seif Hamad Suleiman, who sought to know how many positions had been advertised over the past five years due to the absence of qualified locals.
He also asked how much revenue the government had generated from issuing work permits to foreign employees during the same period, based on official annual statistics.
“The law sets out procedures for recruitment in the private sector by granting authority to private employment agencies, acting as representatives of employers and part of the employment relationship, to recruit and assign workers to individuals or institutions that will provide work and supervise its implementation,” he said.
“In practice, there are no official statistics on the advertisement of such jobs. However, since this is an important matter, the ministry has taken it up and will establish a dedicated system to maintain official records of those advertisements,” Mr Juma added.
He said the ministry, through the Labour Commission, has largely succeeded in coordinating the issuance of work permits for employees and investors operating in the country.
He reiterated that between 2020 and 2025, the government collected Sh12.468 billion from permits and related contracts.
The Representative for Pandani, Prof Omar Fakih Hamad, said the absence of reliable statistics clearly indicated weaknesses in the management of local employment, arguing that without precise data, the government cannot effectively address existing challenges.
“It clearly shows that we have failed to account for our jobs; if you fail to account, you fail to control, and you fail to manage. What system is being used to regulate jobs taken by foreigners while locals are available?” he asked.
Prof Fakih urged the government to adopt electronic systems that would provide timely and accurate employment data.
Responding to the concerns, Mr Juma said the government had acknowledged the shortcomings and would take corrective action.
“If something is not right, you admit it and work on it. The government has admitted that it does not have those statistics but will address the matter. We have also discovered that even non-professional jobs are being undertaken by foreigners in Zanzibar,” he said.
“We are losing many opportunities through foreign employment, and the government has already planned to review each sector to identify positions that should not be held by foreigners. Implementation will begin soon,” added Mr Juma.
