Ramesh Shrestha

In a bid to curb rampant fraudulent activities in foreign employment business, the government is gearing up for the on-site monitoring of foreign employment agencies. The Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) has already prepared a work plan to this effect.

The monitoring, according to DoFE, will focus on issues like fraud cases, fee collected by agencies, record keeping of workers, illegal shifting of offices, details of branches and appointment of agents, among others. As of the first quarter of current fiscal year, there are 815 foreign employment agencies registered at the department.

The department has demanded two under-secretary level officials from the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management to carry out the first ever on-site monitoring of foreign employment agencies.

The DoFE data shows that complaints about agencies cheating aspiring migrant workers are on rise. In the last fiscal year, a total of 483 cases of cheating were filed at the department and the victims had demanded compensation worth Rs 171.9 million. The number of such cases in the first quarter of the current fiscal year have already reached 208.

According to department officials, two-third of the fraud cases filed at DoFE are related to cheating by agents, also known as middlemen, who are directly or indirectly involved with agencies.

The department has long been asking agencies to appoint agents to help reduce fraud cases, however only two—SOS Manpower Service and Blue Sky International—have appointed agents—three each. “It is a must to bring all agents within the legal framework as well as fix their commission to help control fraud cases,” said Kashi Raj Dahal, director at the department.

The ‘Taskforce on Foreign Employment Management and Improvement’ in its recent report had also suggested the government to bring these agents under the law. Hundreds of agents are working for agencies without any legal recognition, according to DOFE officials. These agents help agencies collect candidates from across the country.

The government allows foreign employment agencies to open their branches in and outside the country to promote their business.

Although, there are an estimated 200 plus such branches in the country, only four dozen branches are legally registered at the department. In the monitoring, the department will also seek information from the agencies about their branches. “Also, Many agencies are found shifting their offices illegally without our permission, so we also have to discourage such practices,” he said.

Published on: 31 October 2011 | The Kathmandu Post