Kathmandu, Aug. 15:
Minister for Labour Employment and Social Security
Gokarna Bista has said that the government has advanced the process of sending
Nepali workers to Qatar under free visa-free ticket scheme through the
government to government (G2G) agreement.
This arrangement will give relief to thousands of
Nepali youth leaving country for Qatar in search of employment opportunities,
he said while talking to The Rising Nepal.
“In addition to it, the government is finding safe
destinations with good employment opportunities. We are also making
preparations to hold G2G dialogue with the Malaysia as well,” he said.
Malaysian government is positive to resolve the
issue with Nepali workers.
According to him, the government has given priority
to G2G for the major job destinations and if G2G is not possible workers would
be sent after signing bilateral understanding on major terms of exchange.
“We have announced that the government would end the
pathetic situation to leave the country in search of jobs. Enough opportunities
for better jobs will be created in the country in the next five years. But we
have not said that there will be no need of foreign employment in the future,
if someone wants to go to a foreign country for a better job and good income,
we won’t stop them,” said Minister Bista.
He said that efforts would be put to create
employment in the country in coordination among the government, private sector
and cooperatives, and at least 500,000 jobs would be created next year.
He claimed that though some might take it as a
fantasy, the government is confident of achieving the target.
There is paradox. On the one hand, there is a
challenge to manage foreign employment and on the other, youth are discouraged
due to lack of job opportunities in the country. We need to promote internal
employment first, said Bista.
The government has implemented Rs. 16,000 minimum
salary, including social security, per month for workers in Napal while the
average income of Nepali youth in the Gulf and Malaysia is about Rs. 20,000.
The minister said that the government has been
establishing Employment Service Centre in each of the local units, collecting
data on employment and unemployment, and ensuring minimum job opportunities to
the youth.
The ministry is creating a draft for the same
policy.
Minister
Bista said that the government has formed a study team to suggest on effective
ways to draw remittances through the banking channel. It will submit its report
soon.
Youth returned from the foreign employment have
skill and money, and the government is devising strategies to channelise the
money to productive and employment-intensive sectors and utilize their skills.
A plan is also on the offing to guarantee the long-term job and income
guarantee for the labourers.
“Another task forces has been formed to study
whether a provident fund could be established for the Nepali workers in the
foreign land. The money saved in the fund would be used and invested in the
areas of their interest. Another step that we would like to take is testing the
skills of foreign-returned youth and offering them the jobs that suit their
skill and knowledge,” said Bista.
He said that within a few days the government would
implement an online system that would record and update the details of Nepali
migrant workers every day, every hour.
According to him, the government has expedited the
process to make foreign employment safer, and developed a provision that every
demand letter should be approved by the Nepali diplomatic missions in the
respective countries. Three task forces were formed to assess the problems in
the foreign employment sector and recommend way forward.
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