Kathmandu, 22 Aug: Minister for Labor, Employment, and Social Security, Sharad Singh Bhandari, has claimed that the situation which forces Nepalis to go for foreign employment will end within the next ten years.
Responding to questions from lawmakers at a meeting of the House of Representatives on Friday, Minister Bhandari said that the government has declared a ‘Decade of Internal Employment Promotion’ and has moved forward with a concrete plan to create employment opportunities within the country.
“We have set a goal to create employment in Nepal by ending the situation of forced migration from Nepal to foreign employment within the next 10 years,” Minister Bhandari said. “For this, work has been taken forward by establishing an ‘Internal Employment Division’ in the ministry.”
He presented the bitter reality that due to the shortage of skilled manpower in Nepal, foreign workers are getting opportunities in many sectors, but Nepali youth have to go abroad for ordinary work.
About 90 percent of the artisans working in the gold and silver business are not Nepali. The situation is similar in construction and other sectors,” he said. “To address this skill shortage, the government has launched a skill development program through the National Vocational Training Institute as per the demands of employers.
Minister Bhandari informed that a digital platform (app) called ‘Shram Sanchar’ has been launched to bridge the gap between demand and supply in the labor market. He said that through this app, information about where and what kind of employment opportunities are available across the country can be found from one place and direct contact will be established between employers and workers.
He also clarified that the government has adopted a policy of facilitating the use of the knowledge, skills, and capital acquired by Nepalis employed abroad for the development of Nepal.
Minister Bhandari said that all workers going for foreign employment have been made mandatory members of the Social Security Fund, expressing confidence that this will help secure their future.
He says that the government’s ultimate goal is to create an environment where Nepali youth can be encouraged to work abroad, but without causing havoc.
