Kathmandu, March 27:

Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) has given approval to two manpower agencies — SOS Manpower and Capital Employment Pvt Ltd — to send Nepali workers to African country Libya. “Nearly 500 Nepalis will go to Libya soon,” said Mohan Krishna Sapkota, director general of DoFE.

Libyan companies are paying $200 monthly salary to Nepali migrant workers with board and lodging and $250 without that. DoFE has set a new policy to send Nepalis workers to only those countries where they get salary above $200.

SOS Manpower is starting the selection process from Friday. “We have got a call for 298 workers,” said Bibek Shrestha, business development officer of SOS. “All Libyan demands are for unskilled labour,” he added.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) is communicating with Libyan authorities to establish labour relations.

Since 2006, Libya has achieved a high degree of economic development. It opened its market for foreign investment in 2005 and has been posting a double digit growth over the last three years. It recorded a GDP of $58.33 billion and $4,400 per capita income in 2008. World Bank has predicted a growth of 7.3 per cent there in 2009 despite the recession.

Meanwhile, DoFE is also preparing to open Jordan as a destination but with high degree of restrictions. “We are planning to open Jordan for skilled and semi-skilled migrant workers only,” Sapkota said. Jordan shares its border with Iraq where 12 Nepalis were killed in 2006. After that, the government banned Nepalis going to Jordan.

FNCCI to be roped in

KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Labour and Transport Management (MoLTM) is preparing to involve the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) in sending Nepali trainee workers to Japan. “We want to include FNCCI in the process,” said Sapkota. MoLTM had appointed FNCCI for JITCO in 2003 but FNCCI failed to send Nepali trainees to Japan. MoFE has set a deadline of March-end, but it will take two more months. — HNS