Manpower agencies fail to refund govt

Kathmandu, February 13:

Sixty one manpower agencies are yet to return deposit amount to the ministry of labour and transportation management despite the completion a notice of 35 days to pay back the amount.

The Department of Employment Promotion (DEP) has also been in dilemma whether to cancel the registrations of these manpower agencies or to provide yet another time frame to repay the amount. The ministerial level meeting on October 24 had extended the date by 35 days to pay the amount in two instalments when the manpower agencies failed to return the deposit by the allocated time. The government had refunded the deposit amount of Rs 500,000 as a compensation for the loss incurred by the manpower agencies when they were vandalised on September 1, 2004, when 11 Nepalis were killed in Iraq.

About 230 companies were refunded the deposit amount, however sixty one companies have not paid the amount back and their operations have been halted, said an official at DLEP, who does not want his name to be quoted. The official also informed that the department is working to provide another opportunity to the manpower agencies to pay back the sum and if the manpower agencies do not refund the money, their registration would be cancelled.

The renewal date ended in mid-January and 28 manpower companies have not renewed their registration this year, whose registration could be cancelled. There are about 500 manpower companies in the country currently.