Recruiting agencies’ selection delayed

Kathmandu, March 18:

Selection of manpower agencies for sending Nepali trainee workers to Japan is delayed due to technical issues in the Labour Policy.

“We have suggested revisions in the directives given us,” said Foreign Employment Promotion Board undersecretary Mukund Adhikari who is also a member of the taskforce for Japan International Technical Cooperation (JITCO).

Adhikari said there are some clauses in the Foreign Employment Act 2007 that do not correspond to the directives given to the taskforce by the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management (MoLTM). He, however did not specify which ones.

MoLTM formed the taskforce in January for selecting manpower agencies. Around 154 manpower agencies applied for licence to send Nepali trainee workers.

Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) director general and coordinator of the taskforce Mohan Krishna Sapkota said “The taskforce is working on it. It will take some time to finalise things.” He added that MoLTM and DoFE were working together.

The first meeting of the taskforce on March 4 had set eight criteria for the selection process. It also reduced the number of agencies to 50 from among the 154 applicants.

MoLTM has sought from the Inland Revenue Department and Foreign Employment Department the details of the revenue that they generated, and their punishment and complaint history.

It is actually DoFE that is taking too long to send the records of the punishment and complaints history of the agencies to the taskforce.

“We have not got the information yet that we sought from these departments,” said Adhikari.

“Apart from clarifications sought from these departments, we also need MoLTM’s directives before we proceed,” he added.