The government has added Republic of the Congo to its list of destinations for migrant workers. The Ministry of Labour and Employment on Wednesday published a notice in the Nepal Gazette, officially opening the central African nation for foreign employment. With this, the number of government permitted countries for overseas job has reached 109 across the globe.

In the notice, the ministry has fixed the minimum salary at US$ 320 (approximately Rs 27,800) and $ 430 (Rs 37,400) per month respectively for uskilled and semi-skilled workers except the facility for food and accommodation. Similarly, monthly remuneration for skilled and highly skilled workers have been fixed at $ 620 (Rs 54,000) and $ 2,000 (Rs 174,000). 

“Foreign employment agencies’ service charge has been set at Rs 20,000 per person,” said Purna Chandra Bhattarai, director general of the Department of Foreign Employment. But he expects Congolese demand for Nepali workers to be low as compared to demands from Middle East and Gulf nations.
Nepal established diplomatic ties with Congo in 2006. The African nation’s industry, agriculture, restaurants and hotel sectors are considered as prime areas, where Nepali job aspirants could be hired for

employment. Congo has a total population of around 4.4 million and its per capita income stands at $ 3000. The government has also been lobbying through diplomatic channels to persuade Cyprus and Israel to reopen their job markets for Nepalis. Israel has halted hiring of Nepali workers for two years citing higher service fees being charged by Nepali recruitment agencies.

Even though the government has so far opened 109 countries as labour destinations, Nepali foreign employment agencies have been able to send work force only in around five dozen countries due to inadequate promotion of Nepal’s potentials. 

Gulf and Middle East countries currently account for around 95 percent of the total demand for Nepali workers.

While stressing the need to focus on counties like Japan, South Korea, Macao and Israel for labour exports, Bhattarai said that there were also possibilities to send more semi-skilled and skilled Nepali workers to Middle East and Gulf nations that are enjoying economic boom and bring aboard their experience back home.
 

Published on: 3 March 2013 |The Kathmandu Post