Airfare for EPS workers reduced by 23pc
The airfare for Nepali migrant workers travelling to South Korea for foreign employment under the Employment Permit System (EPS) has been reduced by 23 per cent.
As per the EPS Korea section, under the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), the airfare for such workers flying from Nepal to South Korea has been reduced by $119 or nearly Rs 13,000.
According to Dilip Kumar Chapagain, director general at DoFE, earlier, the migrant workers had to pay $530 (Rs 58,000) for a ticket to the destination.
As per its plan to reduce the airfare for EPS workers going to South Korea, the DoFE had published a notice on May 27 asking interested parties to submit a proposal regarding the airfare they would charge. The EPS Korea office, through a competitive e-bidding process, has selected Sea-Links Travels and Tour as its quotation to provide a ticket to South Korea for $411 was the lowest bid submitted.
As per a statement issued by DoFE, nearly 8,000 migrant workers fly to South Korea for employment opportunities every year. Taking the reduced airfare into account, the workers will collectively be saving nearly Rs 100 million on the airfare.
According to Chapagain, the government is planning to hold negotiations with the South Korean government to provide free air tickets to EPS workers.
Of the total 82,264 Nepali job-seekers who had appeared for the Korean Language Test conducted on June 9 and 10, 7,996 have passed the examination.
The South Korean government has set a basic monthly salary of 1,236,000 won (around $1,075) for Nepali workers. Over 50,000 Nepali workers have received opportunities to work in South Korea under the EPS so far.
