The government led by Balen Sah has failed to directly include the foreign employment sector in its list of 100 tasks to be accomplished within 100 days. While the plan indirectly addresses service facilitation and corruption control related to foreign employment, it lacks explicit mention of this crucial sector. An inter-ministerial task force is planned to assess the impacts of recent developments in the Middle East on Nepal.
Kathmandu, 29 March: The Balen Sah administration unveiled its 100-day agenda featuring 100 priority tasks, but the foreign employment sector, which is linked to 75 percent of Nepali households, has been notably overlooked. Although services provided by the state to this sector are included to some extent, there is no direct, clear reference to the rights and welfare of over 3 million Nepali migrant workers.
Labor and migration expert Rameshwar Nepal criticized the omission, stating, “It would have been better if the plan included a clear sentence such as ‘We will intervene decisively to address the malpractices in the foreign employment sector.’ It appears this sector has been neglected.” He further suggested the wording “We will start this” in the plan was insufficient and showed reluctance. According to a recent program titled “Morning Shows The Day,” expected reforms in foreign employment have yet to materialize.
He also remarked on the political outreach among migrant populations, noting that “Voice-less communities and the migration population have been active politically, even campaigning against certain parties from abroad, but these populations seem to have been forgotten.”
The government’s agenda indicates intentions to tackle irregularities within the foreign employment sector. It proposes integrating employment creation, skill development, and entrepreneurship under a unified framework by merging entities from the Ministry of Education (CTEVT), Ministry of Labor (Vocational and Skill Development Training Institute), and Ministry of Industry (Industrial Business Development Institute) into the “Employment, Skill and Entrepreneurship Center” within 60 days. This center would manage functions including unemployment registration, public employment programs, mapping local skill demands, training coordination, entrepreneurship facilitation, and reintegration of returning migrant workers.
Moreover, an inter-ministerial high-level task force will be formed to study the multifaceted impacts of the ongoing situation in the Middle East on Nepal’s economy, foreign employment, supply chains, energy, and social sectors. This task force is expected to submit a detailed report within seven days outlining short-, medium-, and long-term policy and programmatic responses.
Several points in the agenda, such as items numbered 10, 13, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 29, 31, 32, 34, 36, 43, 59, and 95, address labor and foreign employment issues either directly or indirectly. The government asserts that although foreign employment may not be explicitly mentioned, topics like corruption control and good governance include this sector.
Item 10 emphasizes simplifying and expediting service delivery. Nepali migrant workers often face numerous hassles obtaining passports and work permits, and this measure could alleviate these difficulties. Item 13 focuses on disciplining and holding employees accountable, including those handling foreign employment services. Item 16 outlines linking employee evaluations with results, improving governmental standards, creating digital profiles, establishing citizen service centers, restructuring service processes, enhancing a 24-hour complaint system, and delivering all services via a single platform — all of which aim to provide smoother services for migrant workers.
Rameshwar Nepal anticipates that these measures should end the hardships currently experienced by service recipients. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labor is reportedly preparing an additional ten plans focused on labor, employment, and foreign employment sectors. Ministry spokesperson Pitamber Ghimire noted that programs not included in the 100-day agenda are being developed, with efforts underway to advance both the agenda items and other inter-ministerial subjects.
“There are topics related to other ministries; discussions are ongoing, and the minister himself is actively promoting these dialogues,” Ghimire added.
