Lucrative jobs in Japan that was once a dream to Nepali youths has now been fading, following negligence of Japan International Training Cooperation Organisation (JITCO) and Nepali outsourcing agencies.

 

Japan has hired three dozen Nepalis only in the last 21 months under the process, according to Department of Foreign Employment. Nepali outsourcing agencies received around 776 demands since the JITCO process opened to outsourcing agencies last January but only 43 Nepalis reached Japan till date.

 

“Japan is the prospective job market but we have explored it only at the workers sending level,” general secretary of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies Kumud Khanal, said, adding that they had received demands but could not succeed in sending workers because of close screening of Japanese immigration. Employers have to submit about 84 papers to hire a foreign worker under JITCO and immigration screening is a tough one, Khanal said, adding that Japanese Immigration Department doesnot not approve bulk demands.

 

“The largest group we sent was of 10 workers till date,” he added.

JITCO is planning to replace Chinese and Vietnamese workers by hiring Nepali workers but it also fears unionism by the Nepali workers.“They have not said it in words but they fear unionism,” he said.

However, Ministry of Labour and Transport Management described JITCO as a completely failed process. “It could not meet our expectations in the last one and half years, so we don’t expect more from JITCO,” said joint-spokesperson at the ministry Krishna Hari Pushkar Karna.

 

“JITCO will be successful, if the hiring process could be changed like of Employment Permit System (EPS),” he said, adding that South Korea is hiring about 4,000 Nepalis every year as both the governments are involved in the process.

 

EPS has planned to hire about 15,200 Nepalis in 2011 and 2012.Meanwhile, Cooperative Association of Business and Development has asked to hire hundreds of Nepalis in a year. “We will provide jobs to 500 Nepalis,” said president of association Morio Moriyotani in his meeting with Nepali outsourcing agencies in Tokyo last week.About 2,300 cooperative associations are involved in JITCO and they are hiring industrial trainees and interns from developing countries including Nepal.

 

According to Department of Foreign Employment, industrial trainees earn around Rs 100,000 and intern’s salary goes up to Rs 150,000. JITCO process — started in 2003 in Nepal — was also opened to outsourcers two years ago. Ministry of Labour and Transport Management has licensed 172 outsourcing agencies to send workers to Japan.