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Strike affects foreign employment
KATHMANDU, MAY 06 -
The foreign employment sector, one of the biggest contributors to the GDP, has been hit hard like every other field due to the ongoing strike called by the UCPN (Maoist). Agencies that used to send an average of 750 individuals daily hardly send 50 individuals these days.
According to foreign employment entrepreneurs, despite the demand they had not been able to send workers to countries like Malaysia, Dubai, Qatar and Saudi Arabia among others. Consequently, the trend of cancellation of workforce demand from these countries is also increasing.
"Many demands especially from Malaysia-based firms have been cancelled," said Gyanu Gaire, second vice president of the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies. He said that the case was same regarding the demands from Dubai and Qatar.
Following the strike and complete halt in public vehicle movement, many aspirants have not been able to make it to the capital from different parts of the country despite the approval of their visa and confirmation of air ticket. Some arriving prior to the scheduled strike have already flown to their destinations.
"Yesterday, a friend of mine cancelled the visa of 140 Dubai bound individuals and I cancelled the ticket of 90 individuals as the job aspirants did not arrive," said Gaire, who is also proprietor of Rara Employment. "The cases of visa expirations are also alarming."
Normally, upon arrival of the visa, individuals have to fly to their work destinations within two to three months depending on the country or else agencies have to bear the loss of Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 40,000 per visa expiration. Similarly, they have to bear the loss of US$ 15 for cancellation of each air ticket.
"We have not been able to send some 300 individuals to Sony Electronics and Local Assembling of Malaysia," said Narayan Prasad Bastola, public relation officer of the Fusion International. "The individuals who were supposed to fly are from Lumbini, Siraha, Dhanusha and Nawal Parasi. But, they have not arrived Kathmandu."
Fusion International has already sent 1,000 female workers to Sony Electronics of Malaysia -- a Japan based multinational company that has sought a total of 2,000 workers from Nepal. "Now, visa for 91 workers including 26 female to work for Sony Electronics has already arrived but we have not been able to send them," said Bastola.
Pragyan Neupane, managing director of Nap International said that the agency used to send 4 individuals two days earlier and has cancelled a deamand of 100 workers from Dubai, as there is no sign to send them on time.
Posted on: 2010-05-07 08:45
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