: The government is preparing to allow Nepali manpower agencies to send workers to Romania, said a senior official.
The Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) has forwarded a proposal to the Ministry of Labor and Transport Management (MoLTM) to clear the way for job opportunities in Romania on an institutionalized basis.
Rajdhani International, a manpower agency, has registered an application at DoFE seeking permission to send workers to the east European country.
“Rajdhani International has come up with demands from Romanian companies for 100 workers. We have forwarded the proposal to MoLTM for permission,†Mohan Krishna Sapkota, director general of DoFE, said.
Nepali workers have already been going to Romania through personal contacts, but such cases are few.
MoLTM grants permission to manpower agencies to send workers to new destinations after studying the wage offers, job security, job safety and other aspects through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to ensure the well-being of Nepali workers.
Another manpower agency, VV International, has also received a demand for 175 Nepali workers in Romania. However, Romania is itself a labor-exporting country from where thousands of job aspirants stream out to more developed European countries.
DoFE officials said offers have come for some skilled workers and workers in the electronic and blue-collar sectors. The government recently granted permission to manpower agencies to send workers to Libya, where infrastructure work is booming, with billions of dollars in investment.
Though Nepal has opened 107 countries as destinations for Nepali workers, manpower agencies have managed to send workers to only a few of them.
Overseas job offers shrink further
Though the number of Nepali overseas workers has declined significantly for the last couple of months, overall departures for foreign work destinations during 10 months of current fiscal year 2008/09 dipped only 4 percent as compared to the same period last year.
Amid dwindling demand for labor associated with the ongoing global financial downturn, the number of outbound Nepali workers – mostly blue collar- dropped to 184,902 during the period this year from 192,555 previously.
The number of workers leaving for Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) plunged to 32,754 and 26,073 this year from 43,053 and 38,349 respectively last year, show data compiled by the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE).
Malaysia and the UAE, which are facing huge declines in overseas trade due to slowing demand, are not only placing fewer demands for workers but companies based in those countries are also laying off migrant labor. Scores of Nepali youths have already returned from the two countries, which are hubs for multinational companies.
Qatar – the most popular destination among Nepali youths – remains comparatively less affected than Malaysia. During the last 10 months, Qatar received 64,394 workers as compared to 66,959 recorded during the same period the previous year.
However, Saudi Arabia – the second most popular labor destination – witnessed a 28 percent surge in arrivals of Nepali job seekers to 41,377 during the review period from last year´s figure of 32,089.
“Most Qatari and Saudi employer companies are run with domestic investment, so the impact of the global financial meltdown on employment is less,†Mohan Krishna Sapkota, director general of DoEP, told myrepublica.com.
Contrary to claims made by Nepali officials who recently visited key labor destinations, Nepali foreign employment has received a big blow due to declining demand for overseas workers.
Total departures of Nepali workers during the mid-April to mid-May period nosedived 38 percent to 11,077 as compared to 18,091 a month earlier. Four major destinations- Qatar, Malaysia, UAE and Saudi Arabia – witnessed sharp declines in the arrival of Nepali youths during the month.
The number of workers bound for Qatar and Malaysia fell to 4,471 and 827 during the month mid-April to mid-May from the 7,297 and 1,680 respectively recorded a month earlier. Similarly, the number of workers leaving for the UAE and Saudi Arabia also dipped, to 1,408 and 3,313, during the month from 2,424 and 4,888 the previous month.