Diaspora scholars Insisted Nepal to ensure safe, orderly, and regular labour migration

 Nepali Diaspora researchers, academics and practitioners highlighted that Nepal has to utilise the Covid-19 Pandemic as an opportunity to review its existing migration policies, implementation and prepare a new roadmap for future migration speaking in a virtual dialogue today. 

The virtual policy dialogue – organised by Center for Diplomacy and Development (CDD), Nepal Institute of International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE), Nepal Policy Institute (NPI) and Nepalese Migrants Unity Network (NeMUN) on ‘Rethinking Migration: Need of the hour’ – concluded that Nepal’s should take stern action to ensure the outmigration is safe, orderly and regular, which is the main essence of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM). GCM is the first-ever UN global agreement on a common approach to international migration in all its dimensions, which Nepal has also signed in 2019 along with other 164 countries.

Giving the welcoming remark at the virtual event, CDD founder president and former ambassador to France Mohan Krishna Shrestha emphasised that protection of migrant workers’ rights can be ensured only when the government rules and regulation are strongly implemented by the recruitment agencies in Nepal and the state makes the foreign employers accountable to protect the rights of the migrant workers.

Addressing the webinar, Foreign Employment Board (FEB) executive director Rajan Prasad Shrestha opined that to protect the Nepali workers national and international efforts should be made. He underscored the role of diaspora organisations such as NPI to advice the migration stakeholders of Nepal on future planning and policies. Shrestha also informed that the government has the policy to attract the returnee migrants in the agricultural field and they will be also mobilised in the other development sectors of the country utilising the skill and experiences they have gained abroad.

Presenting at the webinar, the chairperson of NPI Khagendra Dhakal emphasised that Migration should be a choice of Nepalis but not a forced decision for survival. 

NPI – an international think-tank initiated by the Nepali diaspora two years ago and migration has been one of the core areas of its focus – chair Dhakal pointed that all migration stakeholders should take migration as a positive tool of development for the home and host country both but how home countries can be successful in benefiting from the migration depends on the countries’ national strategies. “However, countries like Nepal have failed to link the labour migration to the development to date in most of the cases, which is what should be the future debate,” Dhakal said, adding that Nepali migrant workers have been abused and exploited in each and every stage of the migration cycle from the recruiting to the returning stage and the main cause of such exploitation is due to lack of awareness about foreign employment processes.

Referring to the recent research conducted by NPI, Dhakal said that some 70 per cent of the returnee migrants are completely unaware of what programmes the government has planned for them in their own country. He also questioned how helpless they could be when they are in a foreign land where they can’t even under the local language.

For the future policy and planning, Dhakal, who is also an Adjunct Professor at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thailand, advised that Nepal should adopt the ‘whole of government’ approach to tackle migration for which skilling, reskilling, and upskilling, “These programmes should be conducted in collaboration with employer and host countries governments using effective labour diplomacy,” he said, suggesting the government on prioritising SDG4 and GCM Objectives 18 to ensure the safe migration and decent work for all Nepali labor migrant workers. “While conducting skill development programmes, Nepal needs to conduct market research and create intellectual debates to understand the changing trend of skills demand in the international labour market.”

Seconding Dhakal, another migration expert based in North Africa Meena Poudel said that migration is a natural process, but the exploitations are basically caused by the unethical recruitment process adopted by local recruitment agencies and foreign employer companies. “Cartels of labour migration stakeholders is the major cause for Nepali migrant workers exploitation which government has not been and is not willing to dig in in true sense,” he said, advising the government to consider the migration governance as a priority for the future migration policy planning to ensure labor migration is humane and orderly.

Ramzan Babu Ali Miya from Qatar and Sapana Basyal from Malaysia also shared their experiences of working with migrant labourers in their respective countries for the past several years. They shared the fragile conditions of Nepali migrant workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Both of them are actively engaged with the migrant workers’ rights protection for many years in those countries. They urged the government to protect their nationals’ rights even when they are abroad to run their family’s daily lives back home in Nepal. The migrant workers are contributors to Nepal’s economy and the government should put them in the social protection framework even they are undocumented, they advised.

Summing up the policy dialogue, Jeevan Sharma associated with the University of Edinburgh, said that migration will go on despite of pandemic and other challenges through the type of jobs and destinations may change. Sharma, a migration researcher currently based in the UK, also pointed out that Nepal has realised migration in terms of financial remittance only, but a country can get much more than that from migrant labourers with effective strategies. He highlighted a consent point of all experts that migrant workers return and go back to their village and do agricultural work is an old assumption. Until and unless the basic needs are supplied in the village and the agricultural system has been transformed with the use of technology, the country may fail to attract returnees to the rural villages for agricultural work.

Sharma expressed his surprise that the government makes promises to create more employment in the country to discourage the labour migration in one hand and it is signing agreements with different countries. “This makes it harder for the public to understand what the government’s direction towards migration is actually,” questioned Sharma.

Participants of the dialogue questioned the government on the indicators of the implementation of the plans and programmes. They echoed that without effective implementation and monitoring mechanism programs on paper cannot result in the desired outcome.

The programme was moderated by the NPI executive board member Sharu Joshi, who is also a migrant expert with her intensive experience with government and UN system for the past decade. “Covid-19 has surfaced the problems of migrant workers that the public also have been realising slowly and the dialogue involving diaspora scholars’ actioners and Nepal based migration expert is just timely to chart out the future policies of migration for Nepal, she said, advising the government to create open debates and utilise diaspora intellectual resources for the informed policies of Nepal including migration. “The synergy between the diaspora scholars and Nepal based scholars could contribute significantly to achieve the national goals.”

The programme was attended by officials from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Nepali Academics from different universities from Nepal, Policy Research Institute, Association of Nepalis in the Americas, government, former ambassadors, migrant organisations representatives, diaspora academics and practitioners from North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia-Pacific Region.

NPI says concept paper on 15th five-year plan highly ambitious

Nepal Policy Institute (NPI) – an international think tank promoted by NRNA – said that few targets of development set in the periodic plan are overambitious and unrealistic.
Nepal Policy Institute (NPI) — an international think tank — has said that a few targets of development set in the periodic plan are overambitious and unrealistic. "Goals and objectives are set at high levels and are generally without clear, programmes indicators or time lines."
The NPI suggested the National Planning Commission (NPC) that has held a meeting of the National Development Council (NDC) in the capital to finalise the concept paper of the 15th five-year plan (fiscal years 2019-20 to 2023-24) to be realistic in setting of the target.
The NPI has also said that there is no explicit articulation of the external regional and global context and future scenarios in which the vision and plans are set. "The commission has projected income growth of $1,400 by fiscal year 2023-24; $4,100 by fiscal 2030-31 and $12,100 by fiscal 2042-43, which seems rather overambitious or unrealistic to achieve given past performance of the government, including poor capital investment and management," the NPI added.
The whole presentation of the vision and plan is conspicuously silent about migrant workers and remittance, the NPI comment paper on the draft of the 15th five-year plan reads, adding that that the Nepali economy is so heavily dependent on remittance and foreign employment has become the mainstay of income and employment for millions of working age population along with remittance constituting one-third of the nation’s annual budget. "Given the double-digit high economic growth target, there is no explicit recognition or mitigation strategy for the high cost of high growth in terms of unsustainable exploitation and extraction of nature, natural resources, high degree of inequality in the society and deeper socio-political division and unrest,” the NPI statement reads, adding that the concept paper of the periodic plan does not reflect higher-level vision, plan or strategy for gender equality and increased economic participation and leadership of women. "Though Nepal has been suffering from economic dependency with alarming rise in imports of basic food commodities from India, the concept paper of the periodic plan has not emphasised this concern and no remedial mechanism specifically suggested."
The NPI has also suggested the government to give the 15th periodic plan the theme ‘Build, Produce and Manage.'

NPI concludes global consultations on development plan and vision

Nepal Policy Institute (NPI) has concluded its global consultation on development plan and long-term vision of Nepal Diaspora.
The interaction programme – organised by Nepal Policy Institute (NPI) in association with NRNA Thailand today in Bangkok – saw some 32 experts from diverge areas of specialisation.
National Planning Commission (NPC) vice chairman Dr Puspa Raj Kadel addressed the interaction as a chief guest. According to NPI member Ramesh Singh, the programme was a part of NPI’s effort in collecting inputs from Nepali Diaspora for 15th periodic development plan and long-term vision of Nepal. The NPC had requested the NPI some 3 weeks ago for the input.
NPI had organised another interaction among America based professionals few days ago for the same purpose. The programme was coordinated by NPI secretary Anil Sigdel and EC member Rudra Aryal.
In the beginning of the interaction, NPC joint secretary Khom Raj Koirala briefed the Diaspora of the concept paper the NPC prepared for 15th Periodic Plan and long-term vision.
Informing the Diaspora about the consultations programme held in Nepal from local to National level to develop a draft of concept paper, Koirala mentioned that in the context Diaspora would be critical to finalise the draft. "NPC is keen on engaging NPI in developing a draft of concept paper from the early stage," he added.
Following the NPC’s presentation, NPI chair Khagendra Dhakal gave a presentation sharing the major points that were drawn through the global consultation to shape the Bangkok based interaction effectively. Presenting nine different problems and their solutions in response to draft plan of NPC, NPI chair Dhakal also recommended a new theme Build-Produce-Manage-Monitor (BPMM) for the consideration of NPC to adopt in the upcoming plan and vision.
Explaining about BPMM, he said that Build Physical Infrastructure and Improve Cross-Border Transport System with neighbours. "These are the major barriers to developing Nepal’s market into a competitive economy in the region and globe," he said, adding that private builders should be encouraged for investment in development of infrastructure. "Without industrialisation and manufacturing no nation can achieve economic prosperity and this is not likely without improved physical infrastructure, transportation convenience and ease in cross border trading," he added.
Likewise, he urged production of agricultural farm commodities to bridge the gap in supply shortages and food imports and to reduce higher prices. "This will ensure better choices for consumers with adequate supply at a reasonable cost contributing to market boost that would have a multiplier effect in the economy," he said, adding that the government should continue with long-term agriculture perspective plan vigorously and monitor implementation of the plan.
Similarly, Dhakal also suggested efficient management of Water Resources, including reforestation, soil conservation and expand solar energy. "It should be re-energised with new vigor in the plan," he said, adding that providing safe drinking water supply should remain on top agenda while building small water reservoirs by tapping on rain waters for both household and small-scale irrigation purposes also to be promoted.
NPC should be rebranded with clear mandate of authority for the effecting monitoring of the implementation of plan and measure the desired outcome of the plan and vision, recommended Dhakal, who is currently working as specialist at King Monkut’s University of Technology in Bangkok. Emphasising on the need of pragmatic policy with tangible outcome and powerful monitoring mechanism, he further stressed that without such mechanism in place, the next development plan otherwise will be merely an another plan to add in the list of past 14 plans.
Dhakal indicated that NPI’s final input including the comments from Bangkok interaction will be a good reference for NPC to consider for incorporation in the plan documents. NPI gives an angle on how Diaspora Nepali will see the development scenario rolling up in Nepal. The NPC has started meeting in Kathmandu from Wednesday to finalise the concept paper for the 15th periodic plan.
NPI research coordinator and economist Bishwa Nath Tiwari, on the occasion, conducted interaction on macro-economic sector including economic sector, social sector and cross-cutting issues, infrastructure sector, governance sector. They discussed on growth versus sustainability, green economy, human capital, double digit growth, national pride projects, graduation from LDC, health, women, investment, infrastructure, remittance, and tax related issues.
Chief guest of the program NPC vice chairman Dr Puspa Raj Kadel also responded to all the questions the diaspora raised. Appreciating the NPI for identifying problems and giving solutions too he committed to incorporate the comments and requested NPI to forward the consolidated input from the global consultation. He also asked NPI for regular input.
"NPI is conducting global consultations with Nepali professionals, migrant workers, students, different specific committees of NRNA for past 3 weeks," NPI EC member Ramesh Singh said, clarifying that NPI is an official entity of NRNA as enshrined in the constitution of NRNA. But it behaves as an autonomous global knowledge platform and think tank for Nepal and Nepali exceeding the normal scope of NRNA. He assured that NPI work will be evidence based and placed in public domain for any stakeholder to use with credit to NPI. Singh also added that collective and individual efforts were received from included professionals, migrant workers representatives, Nepali students based in North America, Europe, Australia, UK, Asia, Middle East and also Nepal-based retired professionals of international organisations.
A team led by Switzerland-based development expert Kedar Neupane had processed the inputs swiftly to prepare the first draft and NPI Team is working to give a final touch on the input producing final document.
Speaking in the programme, the joint secretary at the Foreign Ministry Bharat Raj Paudyal appreciated the initiative of NPI that provides multiangle perspectives from the global diaspora which would be a great asset to Nepal. Similarly, joint secretary at at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Ganesh Prasad Pandeya said that policies can never be perfect therefore continuous interaction with diaspora professional which NPI has already started should be continued to reform policies of the nation.
Thirty two experts from the diverse areas of expertise had attended the interaction program where Nepal’s ambassador to Thailand Khaga Nath Adhikari and NRNA Thailand President Assajita Awale welcomed the participants. NRNA Thailand vice president Bhabendra Basnet, treasurer Kanchha Gurung (Gabo), EC member Atish Shrestha, former general secretary Kedar Timalsina and other members took active part in the interaction. 

NRNs urges to introduce open, non-restrictive investment law

The Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) has asked the government to make foreign investment law more open, competitive and attractive compared to other countries in Asia in a bid to lure foreign direct investment (FDI).
AS he government has tabled Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer (FITTA) amendment Bill at the House, the Nepal Policy Institute (NPI) – a global initiative of NRNA – has recommended the government not to make restrictive law rather draft laws that could encourage more investment.
"Nepali diaspora and people of Nepali-origin should be treated equally in matters related to investment," chairman of NPI Khagendra Raj Dhakal, said adding that the policy should allow NRNs to make investments with 100 per cent ownership of enterprises. "Likewise, the government should leave small and medium enterprise (SMEs) sector open for FDI to improve domestic employment, balance of payments situation and give a sense of economic security."
Citing that a long negative list for investment will directly affect FDI, the Institute has said such restrictions must be removed. "Investments should not be restricted in sectors other than those related to national security and defence."
The NPI has also asked the government not to expropriate or confiscate foreign owned enterprises through administrative measures. "The foreign investors should be allowed to repatriate foreign currency investment, profit from investment and principal of loan obtained during course of business operations," the Institute's recommendation reads, adding that other issues regarding import exemption on machinery, equipment, plants and advanced technology required to establish enterprises, allowing settlement of disputes to be conducted in foreign land, effective monitoring and implementing mechanism of policies are also crucial for FDI.

Government to partner with NPI in framing development policies

The government is going to partner with the Non Resident Nepali (NRN) for the development of the country.
Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali – addressing plenary session on the ‘Diaspora’s Role in Development Policies of Nepal’ during the first NRN Global Knowledge Convention here in the capital – today said that the government has taken Nepal Policy Institute (NPI) as a partner for the development. NPI is a newly established think-tank of Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA).
The government is ready to engage NPI in its policy discourse, he said, suggesting NPI to audit Nepal’s existing public policies on the basis of best practices in the world and recommend alternative policies. "The country is in the process of transformation and relevant policies were the need of the hour."
NPI chair Khagendra Dhakal, on the occasion, said that since the 1990s the Nepali diasporas had played a key role in development of the country. "Many things, which are not possible to do living away from the motherland, have become possible now due to the ICT facilities and advanced modes of connectivity," he said, adding that China’s policy of engaging the diaspora had shifted from ‘Return and Serve Motherland’ to ‘Serve the Motherland."
Likewise, vice chair of the National Planning Commission (NPC) Dr Puspa Raj Kadel on the occasion, expressed willingness to collaborate with NRN think tank.
In the plenary session, Sharad Neupane presented NPI’s Strategic Plan (2019-2021), which focuses on policy research on migration, remittance, social security, research-based education and SDGs.
Krishna Adhikari from Oxford University and Yubaraj Pokhrel from South Asian University of Delhi also shed light on how diaspora scholars could contribute to the development of Nepal in the true sense.
Senior economist Madan Kumar Dahal, social leader Sharu Joshi Shrestha and NRNA president Bhaban Bhatta commented on the plenary speeches as panel members.