The government has put forward the necessary process to bring the foreign nationals to the ambit of the Labor Act.

The government’s initiative in this connection has come at a time when foreign nationals started working openly as consultant, volunteer and instructor without taking work permit. 

The government has intensified undertaking baseline survey of the non-Nepali nationals working in around 300 INGOs, 50 bilateral agencies and United Nations agencies, which have been active in various parts of the country with central office in the Capital city Kathmandu.

A committee has also been formed under the leadership of General Director of the Department of Labor, Dr. Man Bahadur BK so as to make the survey initiated by the Ministry of Labor and Transport Management effective.

The committee comprises senior officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Home Ministry and Social Welfare Council.

The committee had sought the details of non-diplomatic employees of the diplomatic agencies through the Forest Affairs Ministry, informed coordinator BK.

The committee formed three months earlier has also dispatched letter to the Home Ministry to make and enforce a mandatory provision of presenting work permit certificate while obtaining non-tourist visa.

Four thematic monitoring teams have been formed under the committee, BK informed, adding that the teams will be deputed on work from tomorrow.

‘It has been difficult to coordinate the work since it is new for us too. The government officials and agencies could not ignore the subject of law enforcement’, said Spokesperson at the Ministry of Laboru and Transport Management, Purna Chandra Bhattarai.

Meanwhile, former secretary at the Labor Ministry Dinesh Hari Adhikari commented it appropriate to collect the details of foreign workers through the Foreign Ministry.

The committee formed to prepare groundwork for the formulation of long-term plan on foreign workers will undertake comprehensive study about foreign workers serving with different agencies in Nepal and furnish recommendations to the government.

The committee has also urged the Finance Ministry to make necessary arrangement for the human resource and budget required to accomplish the study.

Currently, it is estimated that nearly 40,000 foreign nationals are working in Nepal. However, it has yet to be substantiated in an official manner.

The foreign workers in Nepal should pay tax as per the prevailing tax system of the country once the Labor Act coming into effect.

Published on: 9 October 2011 | Republica