MoLTM ´unilaterally´ expedited the process of appointing labor attachés even in countries where there are not even two dozen Nepalis on work visa despite the fact that Foreign Employment Act makes it mandatory to have a minimum of 5,000 workers for deputing a labor attache in any country. [break]
According to embassy sources, 100 Nepalis have so far received work permits for Japan. Only 23 have reached there for work till now. Interestingly, Japan is also one of the six countries proposed by MoLTM for appointing a labor attache. MoLTM recently initiated process to appoint labor attaches for additional five countries including South Korea, Hong Kong, Israel, Oman and Kuwait.
According to sources at the Nepali consulate in Hong Kong, there are 627 Nepali workers currently serving in Hong Kong and about 200 in Macau. Similarly, official data shows that about 6,000 Nepalis reached Israel on work visa till 2008. The number of Nepali workers serving in Israel, according to officials, does not exceed a few hundred as Israel stopped issuing visas to Nepali workers since 2008.
Altogether 8,600 Nepali workers are found to have reached South Korea for work. Since the workers reached there on the EPS agreement, the proposal to depute labor attaché in South Korea does not bear much meaning.
The newly-appointed Minister for Labor and Transport Mohammad Istiyaq Roy had resumed the once halted process of appointing labor attaches to these countries despite strong objection from the MoFA.
The process initiated by then Labor Minister Mohammad Aftab Aalam had come to a halt last year following a strong objection from MoFA and directives from Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to scrap the appointment citing irregularities in the appointment.
In the revised proposal, MoLTM has proposed to depute a labour attaché at Nepali embassy in Saudi Arabia to look after about 8,000 Nepali workers said to be based in Oman. Arguing that the proposal to deploy labor attaché in Saudi Arabia for Oman will not help, officials said the government should either set up an office of labor ministry or hire more local staff at the Nepali embassy in Saudi Arabia.
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