E-Kantipur

KATHMANDU, DEC 25 - Even as an increasing number of foreign job aspirants have been duped by fraudsters in the foreign employment sector, government remedies and complaint-hearing mechanism are almost non-functional.

Some 235 complaints of foreign employment related crimes and fraud were lodged in the past 40 days. However, there is only one legal officer at the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) to deal with all these cases, which, the officials say, is beyond their capacity. This has left the victims helpless and fraudsters undeterred.

The total compensation involving the 235 complaints against individual agents would be around Rs.123.7 million.  Under the Foreign Employment Act, DoFE is the only authorised body to handle these cases. The centralization of the mechanism to a person has delayed justice delivery process.

"The DoFE can investigate the cases, arrest the accused and imprison him or her," said Pushkar Raj Nepal, legal and investigative officer at DoFE. "But one legal officer has to perform all the tasks of receiving applications, going through cases' hearing and recommending to the Foreign Employment Tribunal Court as and when required."

Nepal added that 40 individual and 65 cases against the manpower companies have been resolved this year. The compensation worth Rs.80.1 million in cases of individuals and Rs.1.6 million regarding the companies were settled.

DoFE, says Nepal, has asked the Ministry of General Administration (MoGA) to manage a 15- staff cell including a joint secretary to work in the section.

"The MoGA has not so far acted upon the concern and sought more time for consultation with other ministries including Finance and Labour," said Nepal.

Posted on: 2010-12-25 08:25

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