SAGAR GHIMIRE

Department of Foreign Employment (DoFe) remained opened on Saturday, an official weekly holiday, to provide services to the public. 

Director General of DoFe Krishna Hari Pushkar told Republica that the move was initiated to provide effective service delivery, especially, to aspiring migrant workers in need of legalization, reentry and other services from the department. 

“There remains a long queue of the service seekers in the DoFe on other days, so we have decided to open it even on public holidays from 7am to 3pm, apart from adding more working hours on workdays. We hope that this will provide a big relief to service seekers in the days to come,” he said. The DoFE has also started providing services 12 hours a day from 7am to 8pm in two shifts. 

However, unlike working days, when as many as 500 to 800 aspiring workers throng the office to get their works done, only five service seekers filed for permit on Saturday. 
Pushkar informed Republica that apart from providing services to few individuals, the department has also cleared 1,100 pending and withheld cases that came through various institutions.

“It seems that service seekers are unaware about the opening of the office on public holiday, which is why there was a low turnout today. Also, we have extended the working hours on the weekdays so the crowding has come down significantly,” he said, claiming that the extra hours of services to the service seekers will help curb corruption and malpractices. 
The reform at the DoFe, which has often made it to the headlines for the malpractices and corruption, were led by Pushkar following his transfer to the department from the Department of Labour. He has launched "Operation De´ Pogo" immediately after he assumed office on Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, DoFE is starting the instant management audit and inspection of the manpower companies from Sunday to curb the malpractices of illicit manpower companies and its subagents thorough out the country. “Instant Management Audit & Inspection Team under DoFe Operation De´ Pogo will be mobilized with essential power and authorities to take instant, on-site actions against foreign employment related crimes,” he said.

Tanka Bahadur Raut, first vice-president of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA), said that the efforts to open the department even on the public holidays would ease the works of the manpower companies as well as migrant workers. “Most of them are forced to cancel their flights or extend their stay in the capital to get their work done due to the lengthy and tardy working system of the department. The extended working hours and opening of office on holidays would save the additional expenses and time of manpower companies and aspiring migrant workers,” he said. 

Raut, however, said that the instant management audit should begin from the source, hinting the entrenched corruption at the department itself. “We welcome the instant inspection at our companies. But to nip the corruption in the bud, such inspection and management audit should start from the department itself.”

Published on: 16 February 2014 | Republica