Stating that a G2G agreement to hire Nepali workers is of little significance when the government is preparing to implement a 'zero cost' recruitment system, the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MoLE) informed that it is planning to sign a deal with Kuwait to send workers via recruiting agencies.
The government is all set to implement 'zero cost' recruitment procedures from next week that will provide free visas and free air tickets to all outbound migrant workers headed for major destination countries.
State Minister for MoLE Tek Bahadur Gurung said, "We are not ready to sign a G2G agreement with the Kuwait government as we are planning to go for a zero cost recruitment system."
Gurung stressed the need for transparency and the cooperation of recruiting agencies while sending workers to Kuwait or any other destination country. "Government can't sign G2G with all destination countries because many recruiting agencies have taken out licenses for sending workers. However, such recruiting agencies will have to agree to work under zero cost recruitment procedures," he said.
The Labor Minister of Kuwait, Hind Subaih Barrak Al Subain, was all set to come to Nepal to hold bilateral meetings with State Minister Gurung to further discuss G2G. However, her visit was postponed due to the catastrophic earthquake of April 25.
A letter forwarded by the Nepali embassy in Kuwait to MoLE contains the request of the Kuwait government for a draft of the agreement to be signed for recruiting Nepali workers in future.
"We will make necessary preparations to send Nepali workers via recruiting agencies and discuss this with the Kuwati government soon," added Gurung.
According to the embassy in Kuwait, the total number of Nepalis working in Kuwait is around 400,000.
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