Roshan Sedhai

The Department of Foreign Employment has scrapped the licence of eight recruiting agencies and suspended dozens more as a part of its special campaign to check the anomalies plaguing the foreign employment sector.

In a special operation called De-POGO, action was taken against 42 agencies for their “illegal conduct”. Twenty eight of them were suspended. The action was the first in the last six months.

Newly appointed Director General Krishna Hari Pushkar launched the operation in response to complaints from migrant workers and the public over the fraudulent activities of the companies.

Some agencies were found to be illegally running branch offices, duping prospective migrants and charging exorbitant fees. The DoFE has introduced a management, audit and inspection system for dealing with the problems faced by migrant workers. Many other agencies are currently under the scrutiny of the department, officials said.

DoFE spokesman Badri Karki said his office had scrapped the licence of eight agencies after they failed to renew them. “Many of them were disqualified by their past misconducts,” he said.

DoFE officials said the operation was successful in improving the foreign employment industry long plagued by corruption, fraud and substandard services, DoFE officials added. Besides, workers require better training and orientation, said Karki.

The drive from February 13 to March 2 also punished 12 training centres for failing to provide quality services.

The department rescued 125 victimised workers from various destinations and provided compensation worth Rs 2.5 million to 17 workers. Some 114 cases of foreign employment fraud were received in two-and-a-half weeks, while the office verified some 45 potential crimes.

Officials hope the operation will help provide prompt and transparent services to some 2,000 workers every day.

Published on: 5 March 2014 | The Kathmandu Post