KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Labour and Transport Management (MoLTM) selected 168 foreign employment agencies to send Nepali blue-collar jobseekers in Japan under Japan International Training Cooperation Organisation (JITCO). “MoLTM selected 168 agencies to provide the country’s youth opportunities in the present difficult situation,” said Mohan Krishna Sapkota, director general of the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) who is also the coordinator of the selection committee. The Nepali labour market in destination countries — Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Malaysia — has shrunk by 17 per cent after September 2008. In March, MoLTM formed a special committee to select agencies under an eight-point criterion charter including their revenue status over the last three years, history of punishment and compensation claims. Around 194 foreign employment agencies — 155 in the first phase and 39 in the second phase — had applied for franchise. Traditionally, JITCO provides a year’s training and two years internship in Japanese companies to migrant labours from developing countries. Under JITCO, the selected agencies have to register in the roster and market their potential. “Selected agencies should contact individually and send labour there,” said Hari Dutta Pandey, spokesperson for MoLTM. The ministry and line agencies will play the role of facilitor and monitor though, he added. Foreign employment agencies facing a shortage of labour demand in destination countries have not much hope from JITCO. “Japan is also an economic crisis-hit country, so we don’t expect much,” said Madan Mahat, an entrepreneur. Though Japanese automobile, electronic and manufacturing sectors are hit hard by the recession there are still some sectors like agriculture, agro-industries, floriculture and fisheries where Nepalis can work. “It all depends on our effort,” he added. Though the JITCO process began way back in 1991, Nepal began benefitting from it in 2004 when Nepal and Japan signed an MoU on December 3, 2003. Around 2,288 Nepalis have benefited from this programme between 1992 and 2005 while neighbouring India and China sent 7,998 and 3,82,849 people respectively in the same period. The MoU of 2003 gave sole right to the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) but the business umbrella organization failed to send Nepali youths to Japan.