KATHMANDU: Foreign Employment Promotion Board (FEPB) has advised the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management (MoLTM) to increase compensation to Rs 1,50,000

for the kin of migrant workers (MW) dying overseas.

The board has proposed

to increase compensation

by 50 per cent, said FEPB

executive director Sthaneshwor Devkota.

FEPB has proposed to increase the compensation to give justice to migrant workers, he said. MoLTM increased the contribution amount from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 on April 14, 2009.

“We have proposed this on the availability of fund,” Devkota said. MoLTM has formed the Foreign Employment Welfare Fund (FEWF) to support Nepali migrant workers under Foreign Employment Act.

FEPB has been managing the fund which has a collection of Rs 220 million from Nepali workers going abroad since February 23, 2008.

The board has been running from the fund contributed by migrant workers. In the last 14 months, FEPB has spent Rs 23.8 million from the interest collected on the fund.

“We spent 25 per cent on administrative expenses and 75 per cent on welfare and promotion activities,” said Devekota.

According to Devekota, the board has deposited the collection of FEWF in four Nepali banks — Everest Bank Ltd, Nepal Investment Bank Ltd, Global Bank Ltd and Sunrise Bank Ltd.

It has deposited Rs 150 million in fixed deposit account at Everest Bank Ltd, Nepal Investment Bank Ltd and Global Bank Ltd at 8.25 per cent interest rate.

Also, Rs 60 million is deposited in the current account of Everest Bank Ltd and Rs 10 million in Sunrise Bank Ltd. FEPB has spent Rs 14,32, 208 in awareness campaign in first two months of the fiscal year 2009-10.

“We are mobilizing media to stop illegal migration,” he said. The board is using 62 FMs, television channels and local and national papers to aware people.

Destination Hong Kong

KATHMANDU: Nepal has explored possibilities in Hong Kong to make it a safe destination for women migrant workers. A group of government officials under leadership of MoLT joint-secretary Purna Chandra Bhattrai, has been visiting Hong Kong since September 17 to send Nepali women as housemaids. The

team will return Nepal on Friday. “Hong Kong was a popular destination in last decade

and we want to revive it, said Sthaneshwor Devekota, executive director of Foreign Employment Promotion Board. Hong Kong had stopped hiring Nepali workers since 2004 citing rampant illegal migration. Around 5,000-6,000 are believed to working in Hong Kong. — HNS