Roshan Sedhai

Sushil Tamang of Bairini, Dhading, has been visiting room after room at the Department of Foreign Employment for the past three days, awaiting approval for his documents for foreign employment.

“The officials have been holding the process to approve the visa my brother sent me,” said Tamang, who has been living in a guest house in the Capital.

Many foreign job aspirants like Tamang have to go through similar delays at the DoFE. Authorities say technical difficulties, reluctance of some officials and huge workload at some sections are the main causes of the delay.

However, such delays may not last any longer. The Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) has been preparing to set up a separate office for individual workers to reduce the overflow of service seekers--around 2000 every day—at the DoFE. The proposed office will also work under the jurisdiction of the DoFE.

The DoFE has proposed that the separate office be led by an under-secretary. The office expects to provide services to workers migrating individually and through the re-service and legalisation categories.

However, the DoFE’s central office will look after the administration, pre-approval and final approval of workers who go through the institutional process.

The proposed office will be similar to the EPS-Korea section which has been providing services through a separate office of its own. Stakeholders, including the MoLE, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of General Administration, need to approve the proposal before it is tabled at the Cabinet.

“The office will deal with every issue concerning workers going abroad under the stated categories,” said Purna Chandra Bhattarai, DoFE director general.

According to officials, the heterogeneous nature of clients was creating problems at the DoFE, which is currently providing services. Service-seekers, including the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies, have lauded the ministry’s plan. The new office is one of the many recommendations made by a high-level foreign employment panel.

Published on: 30 December 2012 | The Kathmandu Post