The Japanese delegation, led by its Foreign Minister Taro Kono during his two-day visit to Nepal, has hinted that Nepali workers will be able to take up jobs in Japan from April if both the countries can agree on a few key aspects of labour migration.

 

Rajan Bhattarai, foreign relations adviser to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, told the Post that the Japanese side during their meeting with the PM had expressed their interest in welcoming Nepali workers.

 

“The Japanese delegation shared that they were facing a shortage of labour for their local market because of their aging population. They also informed that Nepal was one of the countries Japan has decided to hire workers from,” Bhattarai said.

 

He also added that the Japanese said labour migration could be possible as soon as April 1, if both countries could finalise prior homework for officially sending Nepali workers.

 

“It can begin from April 1, but only if everything is finalised by March. There is a lot of work to be done before anything happens,” added Bhattarai.

 

In an official letter to the Nepal government, Japan has stated that it would be hiring Nepali workers once it opens the market for foreign blue collar workers.

 

Japan recently unveiled its plan of hiring around 345,000 foreign workers in the next five years from various countries including Nepal in 14 industrial sectors that include nursing care, janitorial work, manufacturing, the hotel industry, agriculture and fishing, as well as food processing and food services. Japan also plans to hire workers from China, Indonesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

 

The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security has already started formulating a draft of the Memorandum of Understanding, which it would be sharing with the Japanese side.

 

Meanwhile, a high-level Japanese delegation will be visiting Kathmandu on January 16 to discuss the possible modality of labour migration and the mechanisms required to send Nepali workers to Japan.