The Nepali government is mullingover establishing a mechanism to provide foreign employment opportunities to the poorest class of youths with the state's involvement, said Labor Minister Lekh Raj Bhatta.
According to Monday's The Kathmandu Post, the scheme will be targeted at indigent young people who can't afford the expenses of applying for overseas jobs.
"Most youths who are well off and own land are getting opportunities to work abroad. We want to expand the access of the underprivileged to foreign jobs through a special mechanism in which the state will be involved," Bhatta told the Post.
He added that disadvantaged groups like Dalits, indigenous communities, conflict victims and residents of Karnali and the farwest will benefit in the first phase.
The Labor Ministry has started preparatory work in this regard."We will begin consultations with line ministries and other stakeholders to realize the plan," Bhatta added.
Jobseekers have to shell out at least 100,000 Nepali rupees (some 1300 U.S. dollars) in application money to get a blue-collar job in an Asian country. The sum is way beyond the reach of Nepal's rural poor.
In a bid to provide relief to conflict victims, the government had introduced a scheme to provide loans in the amount of 100,000 rupees to allow jobseekers to apply for foreign employment some years ago.
However, the initiative appeared ineffective amid allegations that political leaders abused the plan to send their cadres abroad.
"We are committed to providing assistance to genuinely needy youths who fall under the disadvantaged category," said Bhatta.
The government has already set aside 10 percent of openings abroad for blue-collar jobs to Dalit and backward youths.
Nepal has approved 107 countries and regions as employment destinations for Nepali youths. However, only about two dozen countries regularly receive Nepali workers who secure jobs through individual efforts or through agents.
A total of 239,617 Nepali youths left to work in different countries and regions during the fiscal year 2007/08.
Source:Xinhua
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