Kathmandu, March 5

Manpower agencies in the country have decided to suspend their operations for an indefinite period of time from tomorrow.

Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) — the umbrella body of manpower agencies in the country — has said that manpower firms will not resume their services until the government addresses their demand.

Manpower firms were in protest against the police raid on manpower firms on February 24 and the agencies have announced of shutting down their firms for an indefinite period of time from tomorrow to intensify the protest.

On February 24, the police had raided 15 manpower agencies and rounded up at least 12 promoters of those agencies on charges of swindling money from job aspirants and sending unemployed youths abroad with false promises of

placements in foreign companies.

All manpower agencies will stop sending workers for an indefinite period of time from tomorrow, according to NAFEA President Bimal Prasad Dhakal.

“We were in protest since the day police raided the manpower firms in a brutal manner. However, the manpower agencies remained open for business for a week in view of the job-seekers who had already obtained final permit to leave for overseas jobs.”

Dhakal said that the protest will be intensified from tomorrow and may continue for long if the government does not address the genuine problems faced by the manpower agencies.