KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Labour and Transport Management (MoLTM) is finalising the

selection of recruiting agencies to send Nepali blue-collar jobseekers to Japan under Japan International Training Cooperation Organisation (JITCO) from next month.

“MoLTM is in the final phase of scrutinizing the agencies,” said ministry spokesperson Hari Dutta Pandey. Around 194 foreign employment agencies — 155 in the first phase and 39 in the second phase — have applied for franchise. In March, MoLTM formed a special committee to select agencies under the coordination of Mohan Krishna Sapkota, director general of the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE).

The committee has set up eight-points criterion including revenue status of last three years, history of punishment and compensation claims. “Things speeded up after the committee assured of submitting the status of the agencies within a week,” said Pandey.

JITCO has been providing skills development training to youths of least developed countries. Under the scheme, Nepali youth can get one year industrial training and two years internship in Japanese industries.

DoFE is awaiting the MoLTM decision to start the JITCO process. “We are ready to implement it as soon as possible,” said Uma Shankar Joshi, director of the department.

Though the JITCO process begun in 1991, Nepal began benefitting from it in 2004 when Nepal and Japan signed a MoU on December 3, 2003.

Around 2,288 Nepalis have benefited from this programme between 1992 and 2005 while neighbouring India sent 7,998 youths in the same period.

The Chinese are on top of the JITCO trainee list, sending 3,82,849 people; Indonesia second with 70,328 and the Philippines third with 51,414. South Asian nation Sri Lanka sent 6,301 people in period mentioned above.

The MoU of 2003 gave sole right to the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) but the business umbrella body failed to send anyone to Japan.