Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli launched the program in February 2018. Recently, the program has become part of controversy owing to news reports which state that funds for the program were being distributed in a haphazard way. Many people also raised concern over the impact of the program.

There were also rumors that the government was taking funds for the program from development partners.

Clarifying its stance, the Ministry said that the government has provided employment to close to 175, 909 through 6,864 projects under the above program for FY 2018-19, across Nepal.

MoLESS Minister Gokarna Bista said that the government was able to create short-term employment opportunities through the program. The projects provided employment for 13 days per person on an average.

 “We have been able to create employment for such a high number of people in the first year of the implementation of the program after completing over 86 legal processes,” said Bista.

“The issue of employment was never a priority earlier. But, we have been able to create employment opportunities in a massive scale,” he added while promising to meet the target of creating half-million employment opportunities in FY 2019-20.

The Ministry added that the government has provided NPR 2.36 billion in the form of conditional grants to the local governments to run projects, creating employment for Nepal’s unemployed citizens.

Each local unit was given NPR 10 million to run these projects.

However, ministry officials opine that the employment figures could be higher as they have not completed collecting data from all the local units.

Speaking further about the success of the PMEP, Minister Bista said, “The employment program has not only created employment opportunities and help reduced the government liabilities for unemployment allowance, it is also helping the local units in building community infrastructures.”

The program covered projects such as construction of walking trails, irrigation canals, preservation of ponds and heritage sites and road construction and maintenance among others.

The government used persons who signed up to the Employment Service Centre in every local unit. According to the Ministry, more than 1.71 million had registered with ECS.

However, ministry officials admit that they are still reviewing the applications for eligibility.

As per the Act to Guarantee the Right to Employment 2075, all ECS-enrolled individuals should get employment for up to 100 days in a year. On failure to do so, the government will have to pay 50 percent of the minimum wage as unemployed allowance.

Also Read:

• Nepal, Mauritius Sign Attractive Labor Agreement, Nepali Labor to Get Equal Pay

The post Nepal Labor Ministry Defends PM Employment Program Amid Growing Criticism appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

The government said that the workers should undergo mandatory skill development training program to get work permits starting from June 01, 2019.

Besides, those applying for foreign work permits should disclose their professional skill certificate under the Foreign Employment Act, 2064, says Bhola Nath Adhikari, Ministry spokesperson.

This decision is coming in the backdrop of skill-related challenges being faced by Nepali youth across foreign destinations.

The concerned department has already begun searching for institutes that provide professional training to foreign job aspirants across the local and provincial levels.

The training will be offered in five key areas such as cook, security guard, waiter, steel fixers, wiring electrician, cleaner, housekeeping, plumbing and scaffolding.

According to the department statistics, around 70 percent of Nepali migrant workforce going abroad are unskilled.

The post Nepal Makes Skill Training Mandatory for Foreign Jobs appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

Given this fact, the country has always been open for wide range of opportunities, investment and proposals from foreign nations. All is to ensure better livelihood and career opportunities for its young citizens!

This wish of the Himalayan Nation is growing in size with the reported rise in number of its youngsters leaving the country for career opportunities abroad.

See:

• Nepal, Fifth Largest Foreign Community to Receive US H-1B Visa
• Nepali Students Across Foreign Varsities on Rise
• Nepali Youth Migration for Foreign Employment on Rise

Now, local development and generating employment locally remain to be two key agendas of the Nepal Government to provide an alternative to the rising number of migrants leaving for foreign destinations.

Towards this end, the government has already announced plans for local skill development and employment laws in a move to ensure more opportunities for Nepali citizens, especially youth.

Besides, Nepal as a fast-developing country, also presents scope for enormous employment opportunities across its various sectors including government and private sectors undergoing fast-paced development.

Some of the key high-potential public sector areas offering larger scope for youth employment and career opportunities in Nepal, through their ongoing development, in the current scenario include:

• Hydropower
• Transport Infrastructure
• Civil Infrastructure
• Agriculture
• Industrial Sector
• Logistics & Services
• Public Policy
• Digital Governance
• Local-level groups such as District Health Groups, Community Welfare Centers, etc.,
• Think-tanks and various other local, provincial and central government departments

Aforementioned are some areas undergoing fast-paced development with both government and private sector participation.

Coming to other side of the Nepali society, there are also fast-paced private career opportunities stemming up across the country. Some of the encouraging trends showcasing high employment scope for Nepali youth in other areas, other than public sector, include:

• Start-up Culture & SME Growth
• Entrepreneurship
• Rise of Dynamic Enterprises
• Rise in technology adoption and increasing IT firms
• Openness to pursue new talents
• Increasing business investment in new and existing ventures (as part of expansion)
• Changing societal trends and thinking patterns
• Rising remittance flows

As the reports say, there is a high rate of demand for government jobs among youth from provinces. According to the Public Service Commission (PSC), job applicants to the department has increased almost six-fold in a decade period. The Department’s 59^th Annual Report puts Province 2 on the top of other provinces for such jobs.

Besides aforementioned opportunities that come as official notifications or via mouth talk, there might also be some good opportunities that can go unnoticed. As a solution to this, a good number of job portals in Nepal are operating on a regular basis looking every nook and corner of the country to keep the citizens informed about every new job opportunity along with offering them career counselling solutions.

Here are some of the top job portal and career counselling portals:

• Merojob
• Jobs Nepal
• RamroJob
• Kantipur Job
• Mero Rojgari
• Kumari Jobs

What World Bank Says?
In its report titled ‘Jobless Growth?’, the World Bank reports that Nepal needs to create more jobs to meet the employment needs of the gradually-growing working age population. “Every month, the working age population increases by 35,000 people and Nepal must create 286,900 jobs a year to maintain its employment rate,” reads WB report.

“Providing opportunities to these young entrants while attracting more women into the labor market will require generating even more jobs for every point of economic growth,” says Martin Rama, World Bank South Asia Region Chief Economist.

Government Efforts Underway!
Nepal Government has been making its efforts to address the situation in multiple ways.

Event the Budget FY 2018-19 has also dwelled more on creating sufficient job opportunities locally. Skill development is one step in the process that the Ministry of Labor has already announced as a measure to retain more local talents from going abroad to most-sought destinations such as Malaysia, Singapore, UAE, Australia, etc.

It’s alarming that around 512,000 youth leave the local market for foreign job opportunities, annually!

According to International Labor Organization, 63.7 percent of Nepal’s overall population are aged below 30 years and 19.2 percent of the youth in the age group of 15-29 years are facing unemployment.

Hope the ongoing developing and upcoming projects would provide needed scope for Nepali youth to earn their livelihood, locally, thus contributing to the homeland development.

The post Job Opportunities in Nepal: A Glance at Potential Sectors, Scope! appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

In a recent update, the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS) informed that they will hold discussions in this regard to collect recommendations from the related stakeholders.

“We have started homework for a strong, reliable and labor-friendly act,” said Gokarna Bista, Minister, MoLESS. The amended act will remove the existing provision of collecting service charge and promotional costs from Nepali migrant workers.

“The Government of Nepal may, in relation to any specific country or company, specify the upper limit of amount, including the service fee and promotional costs that the institution can collect from each worker,” reads the rule in the existing act.

However, the amended act exempts migrant workers from doing so to any manpower agencies or the government to travel abroad for jobs.

“The government will reform the existing act to make it more labor-friendly and also do away with the practice of middlemen being involved in the foreign employment sector of the country. The amended act will also guarantee the social security of migrant workers,” said Bista.

Bista further informed that the new act will address issues concerning foreign employment, right from the time a worker starts the process to go abroad for a job till the time he/she returns home. “The act will also put an end to discriminatory practices in the foreign employment sector whereby Nepali workers are being paid less than workers from other countries,” Bista adds.

Bista feels that the new act will also address issues such as physical abuse and other forms of violence against migrant workers across foreign destinations. According to Bista, there is also a need to bring in ethical recruitment procedures along with timely monitoring of the implementation of foreign employment policies and plans.

Nepal is open to labor relations with 110 countries for foreign employment and has so far signed bilateral labor agreements with only five countries including Malaysia, South Korea, UAE, and Bahrain.

Hope the new amendments will bring needed change in the country’s labor migrant employment.

The post Nepal to Amend Foreign Employment Act for Labor Migrants appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

In a recent decision, Nepal and Malaysia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on supply of labor.

The new deal will open ways for supply of Nepali labor to Malaysia, which has been on hold since six months period.

Prior to the signing ceremony, the Nepali Cabinet has approved this long-awaited proposal in a meeting on October 29, 2018.

Nepal and Malaysia agreed on this pact during Nepali delegation’s Malaysia visit in the last week of September 2018.

This deal gains significance in view of the fact that Malaysia is one of the biggest destinations for Nepali migrant workers, currently employing around 500,000 Nepalis.

A Result of Series of Discussions

The latest labor agreement underwent a rounds of discussions over the last six months and its draft was finalized last month after a three-round review in the six months period.

“Our main aim is to protect rights of our workers and ensure their safety in the host nation. This deal is going to be a milestone in that respect,” said Narayan Regmi, Secretary at the Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security.

This first-ever labor agreement between the two countries will open avenues for the migration of Nepali workers to the latter country.

While Malaysia has been the key host for Nepali migrant workers since more than a decade, Nepal currently stands out to be the second largest contributor to Malaysian economy in terms of workforce.

The new labor pact is being termed as a landmark deal in the history of Nepal’s foreign employment sector, given the fact that Nepali workers will no longer need to pay any recruitment fees for Malaysian jobs.

Under the agreement, Malaysian employers will take bear all the expenses pertaining to hiring of workers, along with expenses for their return journey.

The post Nepal, Malaysia Sign Landmark Labor Pact appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

Operated by the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), the Foreign Employment Information Management System (FEIMS) will keep detailed records of all migrant workers returning to Nepal for the first time.

“There had been data deficit on the actual number of migrant workers in foreign countries and those returning to Nepal after serving their job contract. The FEIMS will improve the data shortage condition,” says Gokarna Bista, Nepal Labor Minister.

The FEIMS website also has a supporting mobile application along with all the foreign employment and related agencies linked to it on a single platform, which include the Department of Passport, Department of Consular Services, Department of Foreign Employment, Department of Immigration, recruiting agencies, among other key agencies.

The new system also oversees employment verification procedures by Nepali missions at the foreign destinations along with gathering information on workers’ arrivals, informed the Ministry Secretary Mahesh Prasad Dahal.

“The system will provide real-time information and facilitate workers and manpower companies in their respective need. Additionally, it will also register workers’ grievances,” says Dahal.

FIEMS database will have integrated information and services concerning foreign employment at a place with consolidated data from all related agencies.

Now, workers can also apply for labor permits with ease as FIEMS issues a barcode-integrated sticker that will be unique for every application avoiding duplication. 

Ease in making insurance payments online, access to medical reports, track the progress of complaints are among other benefits the new system or its mobile application offers, informed the DoFE engineer Raju Shrestha.

“Besides providing services online to recruiting agencies and workers, the system will keep a check on efficiency of government officials. Incidents of files being lost that happened in the past will not happen,” says Shrestha.

Till date, the government was maintaining migrant workers’ data based on the number of work permits issued. However, they realized that wouldn’t be a reliable approach to keep track of Nepali migrants working in foreign destinations.  

“We have adopted the latest technology to improve foreign employment sector, making it more transparent and crack down misconduct going on under the cover of foreign employment,” says Bista.

Hope the new system would address discrepancies involving agents, insurance claims, employment, among other concerns haunting Nepali migrant workers.

Read More:

• Integrated System to Address Government Woes on Migrant Info
• Task Force Suggests New Destinations for Nepali Migrants

The post Nepal Introduces New System for Nepali Migrant Workers appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

Nepali Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security Gokarna Bista informed this in an address to lawmakers at the Industry, Commerce and Consumer Welfare Protection Committee meeting under the Legislature-Parliament, held in Kathmandu on August 15, 2018.

“We are holding formal and informal discussions to sign labor agreement with Malaysia. There is strong possibility of resolving the issue of Malaysia soon,” reads Bista’s statement.

Lauding the Malaysian Government’s decision, Bista expressed hope that the long-standing issue concerning Nepali migrants in Malaysia will come to an end.

“Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has given positive message in the side of Nepal in the Parliament meeting of Malaysia. The government of Nepal wants to thank Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Labor Minister for the same,” said Bista.

In response, lawmakers also lauded Nepali Labor Ministry and the minister Bista’s role in dealing with the issue internally and externally.

In his address, Lawmaker Lal Prasad Sanwa Limbu and former President of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies said the government needs to take a tough stance to improve Nepal’s foreign employment sector.

“Tough steps should be taken to improve the foreign employment sector. Now, the government should take a decision to manage the service charge. The collateral of manpower and service charge is connected to each other,” says Limbu.

Meanwhile, Lawmaker Devendra Paudel pitched on the need for formulating a long-term plan to bring back Nepali migrant workers.

Many other lawmakers in the meeting urged the government to form an effective action plan to address gaps concerning the Nepali labor sector.

Senior person of the committee Mukunda Neupane, Pradeep Yadav, Jaya Gharti Magar Sarita Kumari Yadav, Sujata Pariyar and Durga Kumari BK were among key lawmakers present at the meeting.

Also Read

• Nepal Govt. Gives ‘Nod’ to Malaysian Job Aspirants
• Malaysia Busts Migrant Worker Scam, Relieves Nepal and Bangladesh

The post Migrant Workers Scam: Malaysia Favors Nepal, Mulls New Labor Pact appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

The May Day, also called International Workers’ Day, was put forth by the international labor movement, social activists and other stakeholders working for the wellness of working population, globally.

Like many other nations, Nepal has also been celebrating the Labor Day since 1963, however, listed the day under public holidays only since 2007.

Addressing Nepali nationals on the 129^th Labor Day, President Bidya Devi Bhandari lauded the global Nepali working community for their contribution towards the establishment of the Federal Democratic Republic in Nepal.

She further added that the constitutional provision of making Nepal a socialism-oriented economy will benefit the Nepali working class.

The President also wished a conducive working environment, at home and abroad, for the global Nepali community by means of fair remuneration, effective human rights and overall social security.

Meanwhile, speaking on the occasion, Nepali Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security Gokarna Raj Bista promised massive and more decent employment opportunities for Nepalis at home.

While stating that the Nepali Constitution is committed to successful protection of the rights of Nepali migrant labor, Bista said the government would coordinate and take necessary measures to ensure a decent, systematic and safe foreign employment for Nepali migrants, while also putting an end to child labor and guaranteeing social security.

On the occasion of the 129^th Labor Day, let’s take a glance at some of the key happenings and announcements pertaining to Nepali workforce, locally and globally, in the recent times:

New Year Decision

Assuring a happy new year for Nepali working class, the Government of Nepal announced plans for the revision of minimum wage limit for Nepali labor, as per the Labor Act 2017, effective from the Nepali New Year 2075 day on April 14, 2018.

The government’s decision was in line with the Labor Act 2017 that proposes hike in minimum wage limit for every two years.

“As wage revision for workers is envisioned by the Labor Act, we are prioritizing effective implementation of the act as soon as possible by bringing a Labor Guideline. We will soon hold discussions with labor unions and employers on revising the minimum wage for workers,” Secretary at the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MoLE) Laxman Mani Mainali had said in a statement.

Stating that the new Labor Act will benefit both the workers and employers, Bharat Raj Acharya, vice-chairman at the Employers’ Council of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry said, “A relevant revision on minimum wage for workers will be made after holding discussions with workers’ union and the government.”

The new Act, endorsed in the Nepali Parliament in August 2017, envisages a minimum wage of Rs 9,700 per month to workers. While ensuring uniformity in wages for jobs of similar nature and social security, the new law also mandates employers to provide insurance facility to the employees.

Status Report on Migrant Workers’ Contribution and Concerns

• Contribution to Nation’s GDP

Nepal ranks fourth in terms of remittance contribution to nation’s GDP, said the ‘Labor Migration for Employment – A Status Report for Nepal: 2015/16 – 2016/17’ by the Nepali Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security.

The report, also supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UN Migration Agency, International Labor Organization (ILO) and The Asia Foundation, placed Nepal in the top fourth position globally among the list of countries with large remittance contribution to GDP.

According to the Nepal Rastra Bank, the country received Rs 699 billion in remittances in the Fiscal Year 2016-17 with Rs 471 billion in the first eight months of the year (by mid-March).

The Department of Foreign Employment data shows a total of 246,324 fresh departures and an additional 172,424 Nepalis reentries to the destination countries during the same eight-month period.

• Concerns To be Addressed

The report also highlighted key concerns pertaining to recruitment and malpractices concerning the Nepali migrant labor.

As per the report, a total of 7,500 complaints involving high-level frauds and malpractices have been registered by the Nepali migrant labor community as part of their recruitment and employment abroad in the last three years period.

The report also released some alarming stats about the death of Nepali labor migrants in foreign destinations. The report recorded deaths of around 5, 892 Nepali migrant workers, 5,765 males and 127 females, in the last nine years in at least 28 foreign destinations.

Malaysia with 2,154 deaths topped the list, followed by Saudi Arabia (1,638), Qatar (1,203), the United Arab Emirates (427) and Kuwait (186), with significant deaths also recorded in other most-sought destinations such as Bahrain (77), Republic of Korea (77), Oman (47), Lebanon (20), and Afghanistan (19).

“To understand further, the causes of the migrant worker’s death, an in-depth investigation of the autopsies and medical records in the destination countries would require,” the report noted.

• Need of the Hour

“Sound data and accurate analysis are essential to formulate evidence-based policies and implement them effectively in Nepal, a country where over half of all households have at least one family member currently living abroad or living at home as a returnee,” says Paul Norton, Chief of Mission, IOM Nepal.

“This report is an important step for the government agencies and other stakeholders to work towards effective regulatory mechanisms to protect and promote migrants’ rights and well-being,” he added.

Stating that the report shed light on key areas for reforms in the foreign employment sector, Minister Bista said, “the Ministry will be working to make the foreign employment sector more transparent and result oriented, so the migrant workers feel the positive change in the sector immediately.”

On an End Note!

Marking the occasion of May Day on May 01, 2018, the Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli said the government is committed to protection and development of the Nepali working class who have been contributing to the country’s overall progress.

In an announcement, the Prime Minister also announced governmental preparations for minimal wage hike to guarantee systematic work under an appropriate wage system. 

Raising concern over large number of Nepali youth leaving to foreign destinations for career and employment, the Prime Minister informed that the government was working towards creating a labor-friendly environment in the country for utilizing the young human resources for overall development of the nation.

The government remains committed to the fundamental principles and treaties laid by the International Labor Organization.

Also Read: Nepal Employment Status

The post International Workers Day 2018: Nepal For Labor-Friendly Policies, Skilled Workforce appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

As a measure towards strengthening the rights and welfare of expatriates, Qatar on November 16, 2017 announced QAR 750 as a basic wage limit for all the expatriates working in the kingdom.

Surprisingly, the new basic is QAR 150 less than the minimum wage limit of QAR 900 set by the Nepali Government in 2013 for Nepalis working in Gulf countries.

On January 21, 2013, Nepal announced a provision suggesting QAR 900 as a minimum wage for its unskilled labor working in Qatar, along with QAR 1,100 and QAR 1,500 for semi-skilled and skilled labor, respectively.

The provision also requires the employers to ensure free board allowance up to QAR 300 per worker along with QAR 4,700 as food allowance for professionals.

A Bitter Response

While the international bodies like the International Labor Organization appreciate the move, the decision is sounding bitter for Nepal and a few human rights activists.

“Let’s not forget that this is an 18 percent reduction in wages from the current minimum wage set by the Nepali Government for Nepali workers going to Qatar,” tweeted Catherine Chen, a human rights activist working for a US-based charity called Humanity United, in response to the announcement by the Qatari Labor Ministry.

Kumud Khanal, former Vice-President of the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Association (NAFEA) says, “Nepal should endorse QAR 750 or stop sending workers until Qatar agrees to abide by its minimum wage standard. The different policies of the labor-receiving and labor-sending nations will only complicate matters.”

According to Khanal, two such different rules would increase the use of fake work contracts.

Ganesh Gurung, a migration expert, also feels that the decisions like this would hamper the workers’ overall demand.

Nepali Government officials informed that they would discuss the issue with the Qatari higher officials maintaining Nepal’s firm stand.

Workers Worry

Following the announcement, the Nepali labor community in Qatar is worried that the new rule might impact their basic rights causing abuse and exploitation concerns.

“There is a danger that QAR 750 will be the new normal and even companies which were paying 900 riyals will now refuse to pay more than the new minimum,” says Krishna Pun, a security guard in Qatar.

Pun, who is currently drawing around QAR 1,800, fears that his company would cut his pay. Many other workers feel the same, he adds. 

Future Impact

While Nepal has similar wage limits for countries such as Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia, Qatar is one of the key destinations hosting around 400,000 Nepali migrant labor.

However, the new wage limit will most likely add to the financial burden of the Nepali workers in Qatar, thus creating a concern for Nepalis’ immigration to Qatar.

Many Nepali workers pay high service charges to recruitment agents and the situation is almost similar in case of workers from India, Pakistan, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

According to Amnesty International, workers pay as much as 60 percent interest on the loans they take from local moneylenders for foreign employment.

Even though countries such as Israel, South Korea and Malaysia have their own minimum wage limits, the basic wages in Qatar is less compared to other foreign destinations such as Bahrain, Malaysia, Kuwait and Oman.

This situation in Qatar exists despite the high demand for work that unskilled workers do there.

Its noteworthy that Qatar is hosting the 2022 football World Cup with most of the labor it has for construction activity are from Nepal and Bangladesh.

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