Five months ago, a cabinet meeting had decided to appoint attachés for Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) -- the major four most popular labor market. [break]
The Ministry of General Administration (MoGA) had approved vacancies for the attachés proposed by MoLTM. As per the vacancies, second class officers will be appointed for each Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, while section officers will be deputed for Qatar and the UAE.
A source said MoLTM has proposed Amal Kiran Dhakal, second class officer at Department of Labor; Prakash Mohan Joshi, second class office at Employment Permits System (EPS) - Nepal office and two women section officers at MoLTM - Parbati Aryal and Hira Devi Paudel, for the posts. However, the source declined to disclose the specific country they are proposed to be deployed to.
"We will send the proposal to MoGA for its consent. We are also requesting the Foreign Ministry for necessary co-operation and co-ordination in the process of deputation of labor attaches in Nepal´s foreign missions," the source added.
"We will immediately depute them (attachés) to the respective Nepali missions. They will be deputed under the command of ambassadors of the respective missions," said the source.
The Finance Ministry recently approved Rs 2.5 million as the first phase expenditure for the deputation of attachés.
The Foreign Employment Act 2007 states that the government can appoint at least a section officer-level employee as labor attachés to the countries where the number of Nepali workers exceeds 5,000. Unofficial figures show an estimated 500,000 and 150,000 Nepalis are working in Saudi Arabia and the UAE respectively. Similarly, Malaysia and Qatar are hosting about 300,000 Nepalis each.
More than 90 percent of the total overseas workers went to these four top labor destinations during the fiscal year 2007/08.
As per the Act the labor attachés will handle the responsibility of informing the government about the situation of employment status, immigration policy and steps taken by host countries. The main task of the attachés is to assess international human rights and worker welfare and settle disputes arising between workers, brokers or employers in the recipient countries.
Besides, assisting during the repatriation of workers who would be in trouble and sending back the bodies of those who die overseas are the attachés´ other responsibilities.
prabhakar@myrepublica.com
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