KATHMANDU; Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) is working to strengthen relations with Japan International Training Corporation Organisation (JITCO). FNCCI president Kush Kumar Joshi left yesterday for Japan with a six-member team to explore opportunities for JITCO trainees.

FNCCI is the sole outsourcing agency for JITCO under the agreement signed between Nepal government and JITCO on December 3, 2003. However, the umbrella organization of entrepreneurs could not send single trainee till 2008 and JITCO advised the government to open the sector for other outsourcing agencies.

The Ministry of Labour and Transport Management (MoLTM) has selected 172 foreign employment agencies for JITCO outsourcing in May this year. After that, no significant progress has been made in this sector except for sending the list of outsourcing agencies to the JITCO head office.

The FNCCI team will meet JITCO officials and discuss ways to expand the areas for trainees. Currently, JITCO is providing training opportunities in agriculture and small and cottage industries to Nepali trainees.

FNCCI sent six industrial trainees under JITCO in the beginning of this year and is planning to send 37 more — 20 women and 17 men — for the agriculture sector. FNCCI will also meet Japanese officials of ‘One Village, One Product’ programme. Nepal has adopted the Japanese model of agriculture development since 2006. The FNCCI team includes FNCCI vice-president Pradip Jung Pandey, National Association of Foreign Employment Nepal president Tilak Rana Bhat, FNCCI director general Megh Nath Neupane and others.