In a delegation-level meeting with the Deputy Director of the International Affairs of Agriculture and Forests Ministry of Japan Takami Nakada, Pun urged Japanese Government to increase its investment in Nepali energy and hydropower sector.

Highlighting Japan-Nepal ties, Pun thanked Japan for its technical and financial support to various Nepali projects and overall contribution to Nepal development.

Minister Pun informed the Japanese delegation about the ongoing irrigation-related developments in Nepali agriculture sector such as Bheri Babai and Rani Jamara.

Nepal Minister Pun discussion with Japan Minister Takami Nakada

In response, Takami expressed Japanese Government’s readiness to support Nepal in the near future.

“We have come here to carry out study and research about possibilities in Nepal. Japan’s private sector is willing to invest in Nepal,” reads a statement by the Deputy Directo.

Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Masamichi Saigo was among the key officials present at the meeting.

Earlier in this month, Japan and Nepal had discussed on enhancement of labor cooperation.

“I believe that the authorities of both the nations will finalize the modality of supplying workers and other legal issues, and also hold discussions on the sectors that Nepali workers will be employed in,”  said one of the sources associated with the process.

The latest developments indicate a notable growth in Japan-Nepal ties. What more to come?

Also Read:

• Nepal, Japan Sign New MoUs, Discuss Other Bilateral Issues

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Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali discussed about addressing bilateral labor cooperation and related issues with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono during the latter’s visit to Nepal on January 09, 2019.

As a step ahead in the process, now a Japanese delegation from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice has arrived in Kathmandu on January 16, 2019 to hold extensive discussions on the proposed Japan-Nepal bilateral labor agreement.

According to the Nepali Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security, the discussion will primarily focus on the memorandum of cooperation, which the Japanese Government had proposed to the Nepali Government.

As the officials say, the memorandum will focus on minimum requirement for Nepalis to be eligible to pursue careers in Japan.

The delegation is also likely to discuss on labor quota that Japan plans to allocate to Nepalese, Japanese sectors that will hire Nepali workers and who will oversee the migration process to Japan (government or private).

“I believe that the authorities of both the nations will finalize the modality of supplying workers and other legal issues, and also hold discussions on the sectors that Nepali workers will be employed in,” said the sources.

As the reports say, the Nepali team is most likely to focus on adopting the Government-To-Government (G2G) model to hire Nepali migrant workers for various technical and non-technical jobs in Japan.

Earlier in April 2018, Nepal had sought a model similar to South Korea’s Employment Permit System (EPS) to recruit Nepali workers.

Currently, Nepali workers are being recruited to Japanese companies via recruitment agencies.

Let’s see what the discussion outlines!

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• Japan New Labor Policy Paves Way for Nepali Workforce
• Nepal, Japan Sign New MoUs, Discuss Other Bilateral Issues

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Nepal is currently pursuing ways to work out the plan under a government-government deal between the two countries.

Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali is expected to discuss about the same with Japanese government authorities in his upcoming bilateral visit to Japan on November 17, 2018.

“We want to have government to government deal in this respect,” said Gyawali in an official statement, while informing that the agreement involves both skilled and unskilled Nepali workers.

Besides the labor deal, Nepal is also looking at opportunities from Japan’s agro-based technology and also discuss key aspects of Nepal-Japan bilateral ties as part of the meeting, informed the Minister.

Gyawali on Recent Developments in South Asia
Speaking to the media, Gyawali also spoke on some recent developments in South Asian countries pertaining to Bhutan and Sri Lanka. “It was interesting development taking place in Bhutan where democracy is thriving,” said Gyawali, adding that they are also closely watching Sri Lanka without making any emphasis on its internal affairs.

As part of the press conference, Gyawali emphasized on Nepal’s long-standing position on Bhutanese refugees calling for preservation of their rights to return to homeland.

“I met with senior officials from International Migration Organization (IOM) and UN refugee agency. Our position is clear, those left (around 6,900) should be repatriated to Bhutan and others settled in third country, should have rights to return to Bhutan,” said Gyawali.

Speaking further on UN and IMO’s assurance to repatriate the refugees, Gyawali said, “I will remind you all one thing, while in the initial days of their third country settlement, UN refugee agency and IOM had assured us they would lobby with Bhutan for repatriation of those left in camps.”

“It is sad to see that their assurance has not worked yet. The old and helpless people are living in camps now. They should return to Bhutan,” he added.

In this regard, he said Nepal Government will speak with the new Bhutanese Government on the repatriation of all those Bhutanese refugees lying in refugee camps of the eastern district of Nepal in Jhapa.

Striking out misconceptions on support to refugees, Gyawali said Nepal Government has done its best to the refugees and every contribution has to be taken into consideration when it comes to local support.

Gyawali also informed about the appointment of new ambassadors soon and announced about President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s Poland visit from December 1-5, 2018 for the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference (COP 24).

The post Nepal’s Labor Deal with Japan, Stand on South Asia Developments appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

In a recent update, Japan agreed to extend a grant worth Rs 308 million to Nepal’s seven-year SSDP under the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

Officials on behalf of the Governments of Nepal and Japan exchanged MoUs in this regard as part of a meeting at the Ministry of Finance in Kathmandu on October 05, 2018.

SSDP, a continuation to the Nepali Ministry of Education’s School Sector Reform Program (SSRP), aims to enhance the equitable access, quality and efficiency of basic & secondary education in Nepal.

Teaching & learning methodology, student training, more effective education system, sectoral planning & management and governance are among keys of focus for the program.

The program will be implemented in a more harmonized and coordinated approach through a joint financing agreement under a sector-wise approach involving other development partners.

This is a seven-year program started in FY 2016-17.

Also Read: 

• EU Special Program Boosts Nepal Education Sector
• Nepal Education Loan Online

The post Japan Pledges Rs 308 Mn Aid to Nepal Education Sector appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

As part of the deal, Japanese Government will be offering a grant of Rs 280 million to the School Sector Development Program (SSDP) of Nepal.

An agreement in this regard was signed in a meeting between the Secretary at the Ministry of Finance Shanta Raj Subedi and Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Masashi Ogawa, held at the Ministry of Finance in Kathmandu, yesterday.

Joint Secretary Baikuntha Aryal and Chief Representative of JICA Nepal Jun Sakuma exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Finance.

SSDP, being implemented by the Department of Education, is a continuation of the School Sector Reform Program (SSRP) that aims to improve the quality and efficiency of basic and secondary education of Nepal.

Earlier in the month, the United States agency USAID had also revealed its initiative towards the development of the Nepali education sector.

USAID, citing its education strategy and local assessments, pointed out at gaps in the education system of Nepal, especially in the early grade reading. In this regard, it urged the Government of Nepal to include early grade reading in its education reform agenda.

Stating that it found extremely-low reading scores in Nepal despite high primary school enrolment, USAID said it would take a leading role in advocating for early grade reading to be on Nepal Government’s national education reform agenda.

Related Education Article:

• Education Loan in Nepal – Checklist and Procedure

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