Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) is intensifying its raid against illegal branches of outsourcing agencies spread across the country.

The government had nullified the provision of branches for outsourcing agencies at the end of 2011, as they seemed reluctant to register their branches according to the Foreign Employment Act 2007.

The department will locate illegal branches and force them to close down, said director general at the department Purna Chandra Bhattarai in an interaction here today.

“We will not tolerate any single illegal branch,” he said, adding that foreign employment laws do not permit the opening of branches and appointing agents. He warned outsourcers to either close the branches or face legal action.

“Branches are illegal and they will be closed down,” he said, “We will take help from police and law enforcement agencies if required.” According to him, the department’s actions against outsourcing agencies have been guided by the 30-point reform plan of the government. About 10 per cent of the branches have been registered in the last four years after the enforcement of the Foreign Employment Act 2007.

Other outsourcing agencies have opened their branches without taking permission from the department. Of the 1,100 outsourcing agencies in country, half of them have illegal branches in major towns.

However, outsourcers have opposed the government decision to nullify the provision of branches in the foreign employment law. “It was introduced to demoralise outsourcing agencies,” blamed president of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies Bal Bahadur Tamang.

“The 30-point reform plan is totally against foreign employment business.”

According to him, the department’s reform plan will destroy the business that has been helping the country sustain in difficult times. “If there was no outsourcing business, the country would be a failed state during the Maoist insurgency,” he said. “It is a major source of bread and butter for half of the 5.6 million households in the country.”

According to the department, about 2.2 million Nepalis have joined foreign jobs in the last two decades. More than 300,000 Nepalis have been joining foreign jobs since fiscal year 2009-10. Remittance from migrant workers is equal to 25.6 per cent

of the gross domestic production of the country. Migration experts, who studied irregularities in the outsourcing sector and suggested the 30-point

reform plan to the government, believe that the government will act tough to safeguard migrant workers.

“Outsourcing agencies are not professional. They are promoting fraud and therefore, the government needs to be tough in regulating them,” said Dr Ganesh Gurung.” The department must expedite raids against illegal branches. Migrant workers will ultimately benefit from it,” he said, adding that the reform will bring visible changes.

Published on: 23 April 2012 | The Himalayan Times