Nepal’s remittance through overseas employment that has been contributing 24 percent to the GDP, has been hit hard after manpower firms put up the shutters.

 

The problem cropped up after as many as 754 manpower companies closed down their businesses since the last four days protesting a recent police raid and Malaysia unofficially stopped hiring Nepali workers.

 

Following the protest by the manpower firms, the number of foreign job-aspirants has come down. “While 1,500 Nepali youths used to go for foreign jobs on a daily basis, it has come down to 700 now,” said Bimal Dhakal, chairman of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA).

 

“Despite a great loss to the remittance, the government has not taken initiative in striking consensus with the association,” he added.

 

Of the total 500,000 youths going for foreign jobs annually, 200,000 youths go to Malaysia alone, which is the largest labor destination Nepali migrant workers. 

When asked about the issue, Minister for Labor Deepak Bohara, said they will start discussing it within the ministry from Thursday. 

 

“The association of foreign employment agencies has submitted a memo to the ministry. Due to government holidays for three days, the ministry could not discuss it vigorously. The ministry will discuss the issue internally Thursday and then consult everyone concerned,” said Minister Bohora.

 

On February 24, Police had raided 17 capital-based manpower agencies including River Overseas, Capital Recruitment Service, Shann International, AV International, Innovative Human Resource, Gorkha Nepal and Nepali Recruiting and Bheri Karnali International.

 

According to Senior Superintendent of Police Sarbendra Khanal, the raid was in response to complaints against those manpower agencies for financially cheating and overcharging foreign job employment aspirants and clients, leaving them stranded in foreign lands and sending them to a different destination instead of the promised station.

 

Besides, these manpower companies have been alleged of receiving commission from international companies for the supply of workers through illegal channel and not paying tax. The police are to investigate these issues, Khanal said. However, the manpower agencies argue that only the Department of Foreign Employment is authorized to investigate the cases related to foreign employment. 

 

The entrepreneurs of the manpower supply agencies have upped the ante after the government announced provision for free tickets and free visas for the Nepali migrant workers heading to gulf countries as well as Malaysia.