The Ministry of Labour and Employment is all set to organise a week-long awareness campaign beginning December 13 on the occasion of International Migrants’ Day—December 18. The programme is targeted at the safe migration of workers.

Organisers said that the programme is expected to create awareness on malpractices and provide orientation on traveling abroad and working safely. Senior government officials on Thursday said the government’s initiatives were not sufficient to curb anomalies plaguing the foreign employment sector.

During a press conference organised at the ministry, officials said that the foreign employment industry is fraught with mental, physical, economic and psychological exploitation. Cases of fraud, trafficking, indecent work and low wages cripple the sector while the issue of the open border with India and female workers complicate government efforts to make the sector decent, secure and organised.

“We are trying our best, yet a large chunk of work remains to be done,” said MoLE Secretary Somlal Subedi. He urged stakeholders to cooperate with the government to achieve targets. Subedi claimed that the MoLE has implemented 85 percent of the recommendations made by the Foreign Employment Suggestion panel. Data from the Department of Foreign Employment show that a total of 2,590,093 Nepalis have gone abroad for employment so far. They brought in Rs 359 billion last fiscal year alone.

Subedi said that various issues including the lack of cooperation from other stakeholders, malpractices in immigration, understaffed foreign missions, financial problems, delayed labour agreements and failure to establish embassies were further compounding the problems. Director General of the Department of Foreign Employment, Purna Chandra Bhattrai claimed that his department was working to control cases of fraud, enforce provisions of wage law, implement individual guidelines, establish a labour desk, monitor employment companies and agents, and book offenders.

Published on: 14 December 2012 | The Kathmandu Post