Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah's Administration Faces Scrutiny Over Omission of Foreign Employment in 100-Day Agenda

Kathmandu. The government formed under the leadership of Balen Shah, following a new mandate, has unveiled its 100-day work schedule, which includes many significant tasks achievable within the first 100 days. The agenda aims to make citizen services technology-friendly, eliminate cumbersome procedures, and strengthen institutions.

However, the Balen administration appears to have neglected the sector of foreign employment, which has recently become the most sensitive and pressing issue. The ongoing conflict in West Asia has affected the main destinations for Nepal's foreign employment.

This issue is not included in the list of 100 tasks the Balen government plans to accomplish within 100 days. It seems unusual that foreign employment, which is directly linked to 75 percent of households and involves over 3 million Nepalis, has been excluded.

According to government statistics, 915,000 Nepali workers are employed in the UAE, 385,000 in Saudi Arabia, 358,000 in Qatar, 175,000 in Kuwait, 28,000 in Bahrain, 30,000 in Iraq, 17,000 in Cyprus, and 25,000 in Oman. Yet, the government has not included the foreign employment sector in its 100-day agenda.

Currently, more than half of Nepal's total remittance comes from the war-affected Gulf countries. The central bank has consistently stated that over 40 percent of the total remittance entering Nepal originates from the West Asian region.

According to the central bank, remittances entering Nepal amount to around 200 billion Nepali Rupees monthly. Foreign employment entrepreneurs suggest that the government's failure to prioritize such a crucial sector in its initial agenda indicates a lack of expectation regarding foreign employment. They argue that the government has not prioritized facilitating the immediate problems arising in West Asia.

Labor expert Jeevan Baniya stated that the foreign employment sector was not included in the recently published 100-day agenda. However, he clarified that the inclusion of topics such as domestic job creation, skill development, entrepreneurship promotion, and the reintegration of returning Nepalis is a positive aspect.

Baniya expressed concern that the agenda overlooked certain issues requiring immediate priority. He pointed out that job creation does not happen overnight and requires an investment-friendly environment, clear policies, and capital formation.

His view is that the main priorities should include streamlining domestic labor administration, incorporating social security issues, and bringing the large number of workers in Nepal's informal sector into the formal framework.

Baniya emphasized the aspect of good governance, noting that the government's agenda remained silent on issues of irregularities and corruption in the foreign employment sector.

He stated that immediate steps must be taken to address problems seen in the past, such as money laundering, illicit asset acquisition, and the high costs charged by agencies to workers. Regarding Nepalis in the Middle East, he mentioned that the 100-day agenda includes provisions for repatriation and necessary support.

Especially with over 3 million youths working abroad, the absence of clear provisions in the agenda regarding security, fraud control, and labor diplomacy for these workers appears to be a strategic weakness.

• 10-Point Work Plan to Correct Weaknesses in the 100-Day Agenda

Following criticism over the exclusion of the foreign employment sector from the 100-day agenda, the government has published a 10-point work plan through the Ministry of Labor.

Minister for Labor, Employment, and Social Security, Deepak Kumar Sah, publicly announced 10 concrete decisions on Sunday. To reduce the hardships faced by migrant workers in the past, he has arranged for labor permits to be issued on the same day an application is submitted, thereby abolishing the token system.

This decision, which ends the mandatory waiting period of several weeks and provides services through technology, is considered a major relief for workers. Furthermore, it has been decided to move the mandatory in-person pre-departure orientation training entirely online and digital.

The government's 100-point agenda includes a plan to integrate skill development and employment. Accordingly, within 60 days, the goal is to merge CTEVT under the Ministry of Education, the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT), the Professional Training Institute under the Ministry of Labor, and the Industrial Business Development Institute under the Ministry of Industry to form a Center for Employment, Skills, and Entrepreneurship. The government aims to end coordination gaps and duplication of resources among various bodies, thereby promoting the reintegration of returning migrant workers and fostering entrepreneurship at home.

A high-level task force comprising the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Labor, and Finance is planned to be formed to evaluate the multifaceted impact of the developments in the Middle East on the labor market.  

The Ministry's latest directive includes a decision to sign bilateral labor agreements with 5 additional countries, fully implement the minimum wage, and enroll all workers in the Social Security Fund.

In the past, policies were often formulated but poorly implemented, leaving workers perpetually disadvantaged. While the current 100-point plan and the Ministry of Labor's decisions appear very reformist on paper, their actual success will depend on the pace of implementation and the correct utilization of technology.

Experts suggest that these government announcements will only gain substance if centralized authority is devolved to the provincial and local levels, enabling the resolution of workers' problems from the grassroots.

Ministry of Labor Spokesperson Pitambar Ghimire stated that the government has not neglected the foreign employment sector but has introduced a work plan to make it more systematic. He shared that the ministry plans to work with a plan designed to solve all problems seen in both domestic labor and foreign employment sectors.

He said, 'The current work plan is focused on facilitating services in areas where citizens face immediate problems. The ministry is in discussion to move forward systematically on the issue of establishing good governance in the foreign employment sector.'

• Implementation of Social Security and Minimum Wage

Although the government set a minimum wage, its implementation in the private and informal sectors was weak. Many workers were still not enrolled in the contribution-based Social Security Fund.

The ministry has now adopted a policy to launch a nationwide campaign for the full implementation of the minimum wage and the enrollment of all workers in the Social Security Fund. This will guarantee workers' security in old age and health.

If the labor sector provisions in the government's 100-day agenda and the Ministry's 10-point decisions are effectively implemented, it is expected that Nepali workers will be freed from the bureaucratic hassles they have endured for years.