KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Labour and Transport Management (MoLTM) has proposed Rs 30 million for two priority programmes — Transport Development Board (TDB) and National Labour Commission (NLC) — in the forthcoming budget. Establishment of vehicle fitness service centre outside Kathmandu valley, capacity development of employees and networking between MoLTM and line agencies are other programmes for the fiscal year 2009-10. MoLTM has demanded Rs 590 million budget for the coming fiscal year, nearly twice the current fiscal year’s budget. The ministry had got Rs 320 million in fiscal year 2008-09. “A large amount of the budget is proposed for enhancing service delivery mechm,” said ministry spokesperson Hari Dutta Pandey.

The ministry has sought Rs 15 million for TDB, a dream programme of the ministry. According to the ministry, TDB will work to end the syndicate in the

transport sector and implement scientific fares in public transport. “The board was conceptualized after MoLTM failed to

end syndicate and implement scientific fares last year,” a ministry source said.

The establishment of NLC is aimed at solving labour-related problems. The proposed

budget for NLC is Rs 15 million. Labour-related problems are increasing in recent years, hampering the industrial environment. MoLTM has envisioned NLC as a supreme body to solve labour-related problems.

MoLTM has proposed Rs 39.11 million budget for the Department of Foreign Employment (Rs 14.75 million), Department of Labour (Rs 9.62 million) and Department of Transport Management (Rs 14.74 million) as regular expenditure. “We have proposed sufficient development budget on programme basis,” said Manohar Khanal, officer at MoLTM’s planning section.

Continuing last year’s project, MoLTM has proposed

Rs 8.5 million for Employment Information Centre (EIC), which was started during the Maoist-led government to identify national unemployment status. Likewise, Rs 74.4 million is allocated for transport sector reform.

The ministry is going to introduce skill development programmes with a budget of Rs 117.9 million to promote foreign employment. Around 2.5 million Nepalis are working abroad

and most of them unskilled and working in 3D sectors — difficult, dirty and dangerous.

Destination countries have started questioning the skill level of Nepali blue-collar jobseekers. Israel has banned Nepali workers since April 23, 2009 citing lack of skill in jobs they are doing. Nepali migrant workers are getting less salary than their counterparts from other countries because they do not have training. Remittance is playing a key role in Nepali economy with 17.4 per cent contribution in gross domestic production.