Govt hikes migrant workers' levy more than twofold

Published On: July 31, 2017 02:43 PM NPT By: Roshan Sedhai


KATHMANDU, July 31: Nepalis going abroad for overseas employment will now have to deposit upto Rs 25,00 in the Migrant Workers' Welfare Fund depending on the duration of their work tenure.

The decision is expected to further increase economic burden of around 2.5 millions Nepali migrant workers who are already paying unusually high amount to get employed abroad.

An official at the Foreign Employment Promotion Board (FEPB) said that migrant workers signing three years' work contract will now have to deposit Rs 1,500.

“Similarly, migrant workers whose work contract exceeds three years will have to deposit Rs 25,00.

That means workers going to Gulf countries and Malaysia will have to pay Rs 15,00, while those going to Korea, Israel and other countries with five years visa will have to pay Rs 25,00," said the FEPB official.

The FEBP is organizing a press conference later in the day to inform about the change in Migrant Workers' levy policy. Earlier, every abroad bound migrant worker had to deposit a lump sum amount of Rs 1,000 irrespective of countries they are going to work in.

The decision, which comes months after the government made it mandatory to buy insurance premium worth Rs 2.5 millions, is also expected to further affect government's own low recruitment policy, widely known as free-visa-free-ticket.

 


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