Nepali overseas jobs aspirants spend billions to get a job in foreign countries.

An analysis of the data service fee and number of migrant workers in last nine months of Department of Foreign Employment shows that Nepali migrant workers spend over Rs 23 billion in a year to get overseas jobs.

According to the department, average 26,696 Nepalis are joining overseas jobs per month, in the current fiscal year spending Rs 72,570 per head.

At the rate, overseas-bound Nepali workers are spending Rs 1.93 billion per month and Rs 23.24 billion in a year. About 2,40,269 Nepalis have joined overseas jobs in the last nine months of the current fiscal year 2010-11. The government has fixed service fees for 10 countries including popular destinations Malaysia and Gulf countries  Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. The outsourcing fee for Malaysia is Rs 80,000 and Rs 70,000 for Gulf countries those hosting 92.30 per cent of total Nepali labour force abroad.

Around 80,378 Nepalis joined Malaysian job in last nine month spending Rs 714.40 million, while 1,41,397 Gulf-bound worker spent Rs 1.09 billion during the period.

Migrant workers excluding Malaysia and Gulf countries paid Rs 123.3 million to their job mediators. Only 18,494 Nepalis have employed in foreign countries outside four popular destinations -Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

However, Nepali migrant workers are earning almost two times their spending in a year in their overseas jobs. They can earn Rs 48.06 billion in a year at the rate of Rs 17,500, Rs 12,600 and Rs 28,000 per month in Gulf countries, Malaysia and other destinations respectively, according to the data.

South Korea is the most lucrative destination for Nepalis where Employment Permit System (EPS) are earning at least seven times more than their pre-departure expenses. An EPS aspirant earn Rs 7,00,000 in a year in South Korea while pre-departure spending comes to Rs 1,00,000.

Israel is yet another lucrative destination for Nepali women in caregiver job but had banned Nepali workers since April, 2009. Japan has emerged as a potential job destination for Nepalis since 2003 but only six dozen Nepali have reached the destination in the last seven years. An average income of Nepalis working in Japan under Japan International Training Cooperation Organisation (JITCO) agreement is above Rs 1,00,000. Japan is hiring Nepali industrial trainees and interns in over 72 job categories.

According to Nepal Rastra Bank, Nepalis working aboard have contributed Rs 161.62 billion in the first eight months of the current fiscal year.

Above three million Nepalis believed to be working in overseas but only 1.9 million are documented. Around 3,00,000 Nepali are leaving the country for overseas job in recent years.

Published on: 23 May 2011 | The Himalayan Times