Kathmandu, May 31

Manpower agencies have launched a protest putting forth various demands, including a provision whereby manpower agencies get interest on the deposits they make while taking operation licences.

As the first phase of the protest, manpower agencies have started halting migrant workers from purchasing flight tickets till Thursday. If the government does not address their demands by then, they plan to announce additional protests next week.

Earlier, the government had raised the cash deposit and bank guarantee requirement to establish a manpower agency by up to 29 times and 17 times, respectively, to tighten the noose around companies that do not work in the interest of overseas job aspirants. Therefore, now manpower agencies exporting up to 3,000 workers per year must deposit Rs five million in government coffers and furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 15 million to start operation.

Similarly, if manpower agencies intend to export 3,000 to 5,000 workers per year, they must park Rs 10 million in state coffers and present a bank guarantee of Rs 30 million. Agencies that export over 5,000 workers per year, on the other hand, must deposit Rs 20 million in state coffers and provide a bank guarantee of Rs 40 million to start operation.

Meanwhile, manpower agencies had been voicing dissatisfaction against such security deposit thresholds citing that it was too high and had urged the government to revise it. Today, they started a protest citing the government, especially Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS), was reluctant to listen to their issues.

“Along with assurance of interest on the deposit that manpower agencies make while opening offices, the government should also provide subsidies to the companies that choose to merge due to the failure to meet the new security deposit threshold,” said Rohan Gurung, president of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA).

Meanwhile, NAFEA has also called for a special meeting among manpower agencies across the country on June 5 to develop a strategy on further protest programmes.

Manpower agencies have also asked the government to resume supply of migrant workers to Malaysia as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Narayan Regmi, spokesperson for MoLESS, urged manpower agencies to stop their protest activities and come for dialogue with the government.