KATHMANDU: Minister for Youth, Labour and Employment Ramjee Yadav has said the government is prioritizing programmes focused on youth empowerment, skills development, entrepreneurship, and employment generation.
Responding to lawmakers’ questions during Monday’s National Assembly session, Yadav said the government is committed to making foreign employment safer, more systematic, and dignified while placing greater emphasis on expanding domestic employment opportunities.
The minister said that through the REMI project, 20,155 returnee migrant workers in 20 local units across Koshi and Madhesh provinces have received orientation and counseling services aimed at helping them reintegrate into the domestic labour market.
He added that 1,066 returnee migrant workers have secured employment, while another 936 have prepared business plans with support from local and provincial governments, laying the foundation for entrepreneurial ventures.
Yadav said efforts are underway to integrate the Prime Minister Employment Programme with skills training and entrepreneurship initiatives, adding that the skills and experience of returnee migrant workers should be harnessed for national development.
He also informed the House that the government is currently testing an integrated employment database. During the government’s first 100 days in office, labour inspectors conducted inspections at 1,321 establishments based on complaints of labour exploitation and imposed fines totaling Rs 44.1 million.
The minister noted that the government has declared the decade beginning in 2026 as the “Employment Promotion Decade” and is preparing a draft of the National Employment Policy 2026 to replace the existing 2014 policy.
He further revealed that the ministry has initiated the country’s first policy framework on the “care economy.”
Stressing that legal commitments alone are insufficient to protect labour rights and ensure decent work, Yadav said strengthening the labour inspection system remains a top priority.
He added that the ministry is also focused on expanding social security coverage for informal sector workers and implementing programmes based on the “Earn While You Learn” concept to maximize results from limited budgetary resources.
According to Yadav, the government is working in coordination with the ministries responsible for education, industry, agriculture, information technology, sports, urban development, and tourism to broaden youth employment and empowerment initiatives.
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