The coronavirus pandemic continues to push the Nepali businesses to the verge of a breakdown.
The registration of over 300 manpower companies in Nepal is likely to be scrapped as they have failed in sending at least 100 Nepali workers to foreign countries in a year.
As per the provision of the Foreign Employment Act, 2007, the recruitment agencies must send at least 100 migrant workers to a foreign country for two consecutive fiscal years to renew their operating licenses.
According to the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), over 300 manpower companies out of 855 have failed to produce the documents stating they have sent the required number of workers.
The license of these agencies will be terminated automatically if they fail to renew it by the end of the current fiscal year 2019/20.
“For the renewal of their licenses, they should have the history of sending at least 100 people in FY 2017/18 and 2018/19,” said Bhola Nath Guragain, the information officer at the DoFE.
According to the DoFE, the number of companies that failed to send at least 100 people abroad for foreign employment in a year increase from 413 in FY 2017/18 to 563 in FY 2018/19.
The companies are not able to send migrant workers as the companies in the foreign countries are severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Moreover, the Nepali migrant workers in foreign lands are returning home as they lost their jobs.
Nearly 280,000 Nepalis have already lost their jobs as the labor destinations are in the throes of a recession due to the coronavirus pandemic.
So, the manpower companies demanded the Nepali Government to relax the criteria claiming that the inability to fulfill the quota was not their fault.
“Taking the concern into consideration, the cabinet meeting might take some decision to soothe the tension,” said Guragain.