Kathmandu, June 30

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today said that the government’s top priority will be to alleviate poverty through employment generation.

Addressing the two-day National Labour and Employment Conference 2019, which kicked off in the Capital today, PM Oli stressed on the need to reform the current education system and modernise the agriculture sector which will help in generating more job opportunities and bring down the rate of poverty in Nepal.

“Our agricultural system is still traditional and we have not been able to switch to mass production through the use of modern technology.

Similarly, access to market is another problem that farmers have been facing today,” said Oli, adding that the need of the hour is to modernise the agriculture system and engage people in the sector.

Moreover, Prime Minister Oli lamented that though employment opportunities are gradually being created in the country itself, people still prefer working abroad. “It is necessary that every job gets respect and everyone gets a minimum wage which is scientific in a bid to retain people in the country itself. Thus the government is focusing on strict implementation of minimum wage in every sector,” he added.

Organised by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, the conference aims at exploring the avenues for labour and employment, strengthening worker-employer relationship, attracting Nepali youths towards domestic labour and ultimately strengthening the country’s economy.

The first day of the conference witnessed discussions and deliberations on different issues related to labour environment in the country, existing labour-related policies and other opportunities. Participants at the conference stressed on the need to introduce effective labour friendly policies and further enhance the labour relations in a bid to retain people in the country itself.

On the occasion, Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security, Gokarna Bista, said that the government has initiated different programmes, including the Prime Minister Employment Programme targeted at generating employment opportunities in the country itself.

Similarly, Bista also said that the government is on the verge of reforming different labour-related laws in a bid to ensure a labour friendly environment in the country.

Bista said that the outcome of the conference will help the government to shape strategic policies and programmes related to job creation in Nepal.