Following implementation of zero-cost manpower recruitment, the government is planning to 'oust' brokers in both Nepal and the destination countries who are involved in channelling in the labor demand.

The Ministry of Labor and Employment (MoLE) is working on policy to oust such brokers, for now mainly from the seven destination countries of Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, for which free visas and air tickets are provided to migrant workers as per the recently-introduced rule.

State Minister at MoLE Tek Bahadur Gurung said that the government is trying to hold talks with the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry to create an environment for Nepali recruiters to contact the employers directly.

"When Nepali recruiters can interact directly with employers in the destination countries, they can't charge the aspirant migrant workers more to purportedly pay commissions to the brokers," said Gurung.

He said that the recruiting agencies are found to be charging migrant workers hefty amounts, in excess of the ceiling prescribed by the government.

MoLE on 6th July brought into effect a 'zero cost' system under which an aspirant migrant worker has to pay 17,000 maximum to cover medical tests, insurance, a welfare deposit at the Foreign Employment Promotion Board (FEPB) and the service charge to the recruiting agencies.

Initially, the Nepal Association of Federation of Employment Agencies (NAFEA) protested the government's decision on free visas and air tickets, but later agreed to send workers abroad under zero cost after the government refused to budge.

The government has formed an 11-member committee, including five members from NAFEA, to study the feasibility of implementing zero cost for Malaysia and six of the Gulf countries at the earliest.

Gurung said that brokers will no longer have any role if recruiting agencies can make direct contact with employers in destination countries. He suggested that recruiting agencies in Nepal should do some marketing and open branch offices in the destination countries if required.

"If they bring the manpower demand themselves, they don't need to charge aspirant workers hefty amounts to pay the brokers. At the same time we will get visas and air tickets 90 percent free.'

According to MoLE, the profiles and visiting cards of all 758 recruiting agencies under NAFEA will be distributed to employers and chambers of commerce in the seven destination countries in the course of the feasibility study.

There are altogether 260 manpower agencies in Qatar while the labor demand from Malaysia and Saudi Arabia comes to Nepal through consultancies, informed MoLE.

Malaysia is the top destination country for Nepali migrant workers, followed by Qatar and Saudi Arabia. MoLE issues work permits for 1,500 to 1,700 people a day on average.

Published on: 30 July 2015 | Republica