“Only 15.96 per cent of 263 branches are legal according to the Foreign Employment law and regulation,” according to the Department of Foreign Employment. The department has gathered information of around 263 branches but only 42 of them are registered according to law, director at the department Kashiraj Dahal said. “Outsourcing agencies have been opening branches without permission from the department,” he said.

 

According to Foreign Employment Regulation, outsourcing agencies have to submit detailed plan of branches, location and contact persons but they do not need any deposit for the branches. However, the outsourcing agencies have to deposit Rs 200,000 for each agent to appoint any.

 

Branches of outsourcing agencies have spread across the country but they are concentrating in Tarai (southern plan) districts. Large numbers of branches were located in Sunsari, Jhapa, Kaski and Rupandehi districts and only five agents have been registered in the department in last five years, according to the department.

 

The illegitimate branches have been working as irresponsible agents fuelling frauds in foreign employment business. According to a study of the department, the agents collect foreign job aspirants and hand them over to outsourcing agencies for Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 for each of them.

 

“The agents commission is added in the service charged to job aspirants, so a job aspirant has to pay above Rs 100,000 for a job in Gulf countries and Malaysia,” the study noted.

 

However, the government-approved service fee stands at Rs 80,000 for Malaysia and Rs 70,000 for Gulf countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

 

KATHMANDU: More than 500 are joining South Korean jobs in the second half of Jestha (by June 11) under Employment Permit System (EPS). According to EPS Nepal, some 589 Nepalis including 42 female migrant workers will reach Seoul by June 11. About 260 Nepalis have reached the destination on Monday and next two batches will join on June 4 and June 11. About 199 EPS job aspirants will leave the country for South Korea on June 4 and 130 on June 11. South Korea is offering $1,000 to Nepali migrant workers which is highest among popular destinations.