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Kathmandu Sunday December 09, 2001 Marga 24, 2058.
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‘Rs 69b
remittance pouring in annually’
Manpower agencies need to be more honest
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Dec 8 – Dr
Ganesh Gurung, a foreign employment expert and president of Nepal Institute of Development
Studies has said that the annual inflow of remittance into the country is Rs 69 billion,
which covers 65 per cent of the total foreign currency earnings of the country.
Speaking at the inaugural
function of the 12th annual general meeting of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment
Agencies (NAFEA) here today, Dr Gurung said that Nepal has not been able to get maximum
benefit from the foreign employment opportunities.
"A neighbouring country
Sri Lanka sent more than 178 thousand people for the foreign employment just in 1999
whereas during the last decade, Nepal had been able to send only 52 thousands of people
abroad," he added.
He also revealed the fact
that Nepal lacks the infrastructure and proper mechanism to regulate the foreign
employment business.
Speaking on the same
occasion, Minister of Labour and Transport Management, Palten Gurung urged the
entrepreneurs and agencies engaged in the foreign employment to work hard in order to
built their clean images among the common people.
Minister Gurung stressed that
the manpower supplying agencies should be honest in their profession.
"The image of agencies,
which supply Nepalese manpower abroad, has been gloomy due to the numbers of fraud cases
and they should put maximum efforts to rebuild the deteriorating impression among the
common people. "All the efforts should be concentrated to erase the eroding
credibility of the manpower agencies," he underlined.
However, he also appreciated
the contribution of foreign employment sector to the national economy, and added that the
sector has been able playing a remarkable role in minimizing the swelling problem of
unemployment evolved mainly due to disorder in the country as a result of illegal
activities of the Maoists.
He also assured the
entrepreneurs that the government is always ready to extend necessary cooperation, ranging
from amending the Acts and regulations, and taking any other steps in uplifting the
business.
"The recently announced
government plan of providing loan to the dalits and poor Nepalese is a strong indication
that the government is serious in uplifting the financial condition of the backward people
of the country," informed he.
Minister Gurung also informed
that cabinet had already decided to keep a labour desk in the Tribhuvan International
Airport (TIA) to regulate the employees’ departure abroad. However, the plan has yet
to be implemented due to a lack of proper space in the TIA.
On the same occasion, Shivraj
Joshi, Minister of State of Labour and Transport Management, expressed his dissatisfaction
over high charge of the manpower companies for the foreign employment and said that they
need to lower the service charge which encircle the poor section of the society.
He also suggested conducting
orientation classes and training to the people going for foreign employment to upgrade the
quality of Nepali manpower in the foreign manpower market. Referring to the differences
between the government and the NAFEA, he said that such differences could easily be solved
through talks.
Poshan Nepal, Secretary of
the Ministry said that the contribution of private agencies in earning foreign currency is
appreciable and the government is ready to extend every possible cooperation to boost the
foreign employment business.
Among various demands and
reforms, Dan Bahadur Tamang, President of the Association urged the government to allocate
more budget to the foreign employment sector to enhance its service quality and
efficiency.
Bharat Singh Thapa, Vice
President of NAFEA also spoke, among others. Agencies and individuals that contributed to
the promotion of foreign employment sector were honored on the occasion.
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