KATHMANDU: In the year 2075 BS, Nepal government made serious efforts in a bid to properly manage the foreign employment sector. However, this has not been enough.
The government inked a labor deal with Malaysia, renewed labor agreement with Korea, signed Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) with Japan and amended the foreign employment act.
Similarly, the verification of visas through diplomatic missions and the distribution of labor permit from provinces are other laudable jobs done by the government.
Likewise, the government has also fixed the ceiling of collateral for the manpower companies to deposit in a bank in a bid to regulate them. The deposit ceiling has been increased depending upon the number of migrant workers they supply to labor destination countries.
The operation of a call center to listen to the problems of migrant workers is another encouraging job. All jobs, now, can be carried out online, said Mahesh Prasad Dahal, Secretary at the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Security.
“Necessary laws have been formulated to manage foreign employment issue and sort out hassles surrounding the same. It has put an end to all the existing discrepancies and problems surrounding the foreign employment,” claimed Dahal.
According to the record maintained by the Department of Foreign Employment, a total of 400,000 youths have taken new work permits in 2075 BS.
Woes faced by migrant workers go unabated
The ‘free visa, free ticket’ policy introduced by the government four years ago to control rampant cheating of migrant workers has not been implemented yet. Migrant workers have not been able to avail this service, as a result of which, the problems of migrant workers have continued.
The migrant workers are often defrauded and are, at times, deprived of enjoying the facilities as stated in the agreement. Human trafficking under the cover of foreign employment is taking place.
A lot of fraud cases related to foreign employment took place in 2075 BS. Migrant workers have been swindled by manpower supply companies, despite assurances made by Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security Gokarna Bista to purge the foreign employment.
Over 4 million Nepali migrant workers are currently working in various companies in Malaysia and Gulf countries.
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