Kumud Khanal, general secretary of NAFEA, informed Republica that the association has urged the Ministry of Labor and Transport Management to raise the issue during the meeting between ministry officials and the visiting dignitary Monday.[break]
“We have requested the ministry to propose the Saudi prince to open diplomatic mission of Saudi Arabia in Nepal. This will help make the sending process more systematized,” Khanal added.
He also said the opening of Saudi mission in Nepal will save tens of millions of rupees, as recruiting agencies have been forwarding job applications to Saudi missions in Dhaka, Mumbai and New Delhi.
“About 80 agents of different recruiting agencies are stationed in these cities to acquire visa for Nepali workers,” Khanal added. He also said the opening of Saudi mission here was also necessary to control fake applicants leaving for workplaces in Saudi Arabia.
“A large number of Bangladeshis are leaving for Saudi Arabia, showing Nepali passport. This can be checked with the opening of Saudi mission here,” he said. Khanal further argued that more than 95 percent of problems related to foreign employment in Saudi Arabia can be resolved by establishing the embassy alone.
He also said the opening of Saudi mission might also help attract investment of Saudi Arabia in sectors like agriculture and hydro electricity, among others.
“We have received positively response from the ministry. We hope our agenda will be tabled in the meeting,” he added.
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