World Bank commits assistance for supporting internal employment

Kathmandu, Apr. 5

The World Bank has expressed its readiness to support Nepali people living in poverty and risky lives, by cooperating with the government, development partners and the private sector.

In a meeting with the Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Krishna Kumar Shrestha Tuesday, World Bank's Regional Director for Human Development in South Asia, Lynne D. Sherburne-Benz said that the multilateral donor will assist in the implementation of the government's policy on internal employment promotion.

He said that the Transformation Initiative for Youth Employment project will improve the outcome of the labour market by creating employment opportunities, skills and capacity building and expanding employment-oriented services for the unemployed youth.

They also discussed about the effectiveness of the project invested by the World Bank, said the Ministry in a statement.

On the occasion, Minister Shrestha said that the assistance of the WB was important in the implementation of the strategy taken by the government for internal employment.

He thanked the WB for its assistance in organizing the Transformation Initiative for Youth Employment affiliated to the Prime Minister's Employment Programme (PMEP) to create internal employment. The World Bank has assisted in upgrading the employment management information system by integrating the personal details, knowledge, skills and experience of the unemployed person, potential areas of employment and the demand and supply side of the labour market.

Minister Shrestha said that more cooperation was needed to make the PMEP effective by linking it with sustainable employment, developing useful infrastructure for the unemployed, deprived and target groups and providing employment as per the market demand.

Stating that a 100-day temporary employment programme is being conducted at the local level under social security, he said that this programme has provided relief to the deprived community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stating that it is the policy of the government to produce skilled manpower by conducting skill training programmes jointly by all the various bodies, Minister Shrestha said that support is expected from the WB for the construction of training centres in the same province.

Faris Hadad Jarvos, National Director of the World Bank for the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, said the bank was ready to mobilize support for further employment-oriented programmes, related policies, capacity building and service delivery in Nepal. 

  Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 6 April 2022.