The Department of Foreign Employment will begin a campaign called ‘Mobile DoFE’ from Biratnagar, on Wednesday. The campaign, led by director general of DoFE Krishna Hari Pushkar, will be inspecting and addressing complaints filed against manpower and orientation agencies.

It will also include discussions and interactions among three parties — manpower agencies, orientation agencies and foreign job aspirants.

There are about 10 to 12 branches of different manpower agencies in Biratnagar whose head office is in Kathmandu. There are also approximately 10 to 12 manpower offices that are being operated by agents hired by the concerned manpower agencies under certain legal terms.

“The campaign will bring all three parties to the same platform and listen to their grievances and seek the best possible measures for finding a solution,” said spokesperson at DoFE Badri Karki.

He also said that under the ‘Mobile DoFE’ campaign, various interaction and discussion programmes will be organised which he says will help bring in positive changes in the foreign employment sector.

Furthermore, Karki emphasised that the campaign will make foreign job aspirants aware of the necessary precautions that need to be taken before they depart the country. According to him, this is a trial campaign and based on its feedback the department further plans to operate ‘Mobile DoFE’ in various districts across the country.

The one-day ‘Mobile DoFE’ programme in Biratnagar will be coordinated by the District Administration Office Morang.

Previously, to control fraudulent activities of manpower agencies in Kathmandu Valley, DoFE had mobilised its Management Audit and Inspection team that inspected 13 manpower agencies among which the licence of eight were cancelled.

The eight companies who were found to be operating without renewing their licence are Mahakali Overseas, Golivent Manpower, Resunga International, Astha International, World Wide Asian Manpower, Tegent International Recruitment, Opportunity Manpower and Thanks International.

Similarly, the department has suspended five orientation agencies so far. Three orientation agencies — Bindhyabasini International Institute, Comic Training Centre and Lumbini Multiple Training Centre — have been barred from conducting orientation programmes for one month, whereas Anu Shree Multipurpose Training Centre and MS Training Nepal have been barred for 15 days.

The department had found that the orientation centres were not providing training to foreign job aspirants on the day they had pledged to do so.

DoFE, on the basis of complaints registered by victims, has been acting strongly against manpower and orientation agencies. It is also addressing complaints lodged through ‘Hello Sarkar’ — a cell located at Prime Minister’s Office, which registers various grievances.

Published on: 24 February 2014 | The Himalayan Times