Qatar Emir Al Thani wraps up Nepal visit, Nepal-Qatar sign two agreements, six MoUs

Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani concluded his two-day state visit to Nepal and left Kathmandu today afternoon.

President Ram Chandra Poudel and other high-ranking officials saw off Al Thani at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) this afternoon in Kathmandu.

Earlier Nepal and Qatar signed two agreements and six memorandums of understanding (MoUs) following a delegation-level bilateral meeting at The Soaltee Hotel in Kathmandu. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Qatar Amir Al Thani led their respective delegations in the meeting.

According to a press note issued by the Foreign Ministry, the two countries have signed different agreements and MoUs for cooperation in the fields of education, arts and culture, sports, news agencies, diplomatic training and attorney general offices.

Likewise, the private sector organisations of the two countries also signed agreement to further enhance economic relations between the two countries.

Emir Al Thani arrived in Kathmandu yesterday afternoon from Dhaka after wrapping up his state visit to Bangladesh. He held talks with President Ram Chandra Poudel at the Office of the President yesterday evening. 

Later, he attended a state reception organised by President Poudel in the honour of the Qatar Emir and the Qatari delegation.

After the bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal today, Qatar Emir Al Thani attended a luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Dahal.

Nepal has also decided to gift a pair of elephants to the State of Qatar.

Agreements and MoUs signed:

i) MoU for Cooperation in the Fields of Culture and Arts

ii) MoU for Cooperation in the Field of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research

iii) MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Youth and Sports

iv) MoU on Cooperation between the Office of the Attorney General of Nepal and the Public Prosecution of the State of Qatar

v) MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Diplomatic Training and Education between the Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA), Nepal and the Diplomatic Institute of Qatar

vi) Renewal of the MoU between Qatar Chamber and the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FNCCI)

vii) Agreement on Cooperation and Exchange of News between Rastriya Samachar Samiti of Nepal and Qatar News Agency (QNA)

vii) Agreement on the establishment of Joint Business Council (JBC) between Qatar Chamber and the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FNCCI)

Before signing agreements, Prime Minister Dahal held bilateral talks with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Taking stock of the existing relations so cordially subsisting between Nepal and Qatar, both leaders discussed about enhancing bilateral cooperation by furthering the avenues of partnerships.

Following the talks, the Prime Minister and Emir witnessed a signing ceremony of bilateral agreements and MoUs. 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has said that there should be an exchange of bilateral assistance between Nepal and Qatar in the best interests of both nations by further consolidating the bilateral ties.

During the bilateral talks, Prime Minister apprised the distinguished guest that Nepal offers ample and appropriate opportunities for investment in agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure sectors.

Stating that Nepali migrant workers in Qatar have served as a tool to further strengthen the friendly relations between Nepal and Qatar, he spoke of the need to deepen such ties in the days to come.

The Prime Minister also called on Qatar to facilitate the safe release of Nepali student Bipin Joshi, who has been missing since the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Affirming that Nepal and Qatar always enjoy a cordial relationship, the Prime Minister said this relationship is founded on cordial friendship, mutual respect, trust, and assistance. "Qatar remains as a reliable friend of Nepal and such relations are getting deeper and extended," he said, adding that these relations are not limited to just an official level but have been expanded to the people-to-people level as well.

Describing Nepal as 'one of the attractive destinations for investment for the globe', Prime Minister Dahal said agriculture, energy, hydropower, infrastructure development, tourism, information and communications technology, service and hospitality sectors are suitable areas for foreign investment in Nepal.

"Nepal is a suitable place for producing organic agricultural products due to its geographical diversity," he said, adding that the Qatari investors would be encouraged to consider investment in this sector since Nepal was a center of attraction in tourism in the world parlance.

Remembering the ascent of the highest mountain in the world Mt Everest by the first Qatari man, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al-Thani in 2013, the Prime Minister said that it helped contribute in the promotion of Nepal's tourism in the world.

On the occasion, PM Dahal requested to include Nepal in the list of Qatar's Tourism Authority's external tourism destination.

PM Dahal urged the Qatari government for operation of flights from Lumbini and Pokhara to Qatar as well.

Stating that there were effective and sufficient air transportation between Kathmandu to Doha, PM Dahal urged the Qatari government to consider operating flights from Lumbini and Pokhara to Doha as well.

Earlier, stakeholders had urged the government to take initiatives for operating direct flight between Bhairahawa and Qatar from Gautam Buddha International Airport during the Qatari Emir's visit to Nepal.

Siddhartha Chamber of Commerce and Industry's president Thakur Kumar Shrestha, requested the government to prioritise the proposal of operating direct flight between Bhairahawa and Qatar.

Likewise, PM Dahal observed that around 400,000 Nepalis migrant workers working in Qatar at present were an important bridge further cementing the bilateral ties between Nepal and Qatar.

"Nepal is going to establish vocational training and skill development center for aspiring Nepali migrant workers to Qatar," he said, urging Qatari government for its assistance in setting up such centre.

Nepal-Qatar Joint Business Council formed

A Joint Business Council between Nepal and Qatar has been established, which includes the private sectors of both the nations.

An agreement was reached between the two chambers today (on Wednesday) for the establishment of a council headed by president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Chandra Prasad Dhakal and president of Qatar Chamber Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, in Kathmandu.

The agreement was signed by FNCCI president Chandra Prasad Dhakal and Qatar Chamber president Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani in the presence of Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

The council will work in the areas of business expansion, investment promotion, technology transfer and tourism promotion, according to a press note issued by the FNCCI.

The Joint Business Council will be a permanent mechanism for dialogue with Qatar, a Gulf country experiencing rapid economic growth, the press note reads adding that the purpose of the Joint Business Council is to increase cooperation and understanding between the private sectors of Nepal and Qatar.

The council will play an effective role in attracting investments from Qatar and also expanding trade with the Gulf nation, which is known as a work destination for Nepalis. There is a high demand for agricultural products, water, herbs, spices and spice products in the Gulf countries. As Qatar is an investment destination due to its rapid economic expansion, the Joint Business Council will play an effective role in attracting investments in Nepal. The council will also work in the field of tourism promotion, it adds.

After the establishment of the council, cooperation between the two chambers is expected to further intensify and presidents of both the chambers are of the opinion that it will help in investment and business expansion.

"This agreement will further increase cooperation in the coming days," president of the Qatar Chamber Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani said, after signing the agreement.

Likewise, FNCCI president Chandra Prasad Dhakal said that there will be more initiatives taken through the council to increase cooperation between Nepal and Qatar. "The council will continue to work to benefit Nepal from Qatar's rapid economic development," he said adding that the establishment of the Joint Business Council will help in attracting more investments in hydropower, tourism infrastructure, agro-processing and information and communication technology sectors.

In addition, the agreement between FNCCI and Qatar Chamber has also been renewed. The new agreement was signed by FNCCI president Dhakal and Qatar Chamber president Al Thani.

The agreement was also signed in the presence of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar and prime minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

The first agreement between FNCCI and Qatar Chamber was signed in 2005. Since then, the two chambers have been cooperating in various ways for investment and business promotion.

AI charges Qatar for illegally expelling migrant workers

After Qatari authorities rounded up and expelled dozens of migrant workers after telling them they were being taken to be tested for Covid-19, Amnesty International (AI) has called on to ensure that any worker detained and threatened with expulsion is informed of the reasons and allowed to challenge them. “Qatar should also ensure effective remedy and reparation for any worker, whose rights have been violated,” the AI press note recommends, adding that the Qatari authorities must also ensure all migrant workers’ right to health is fully protected during the Covid-19 crisis.

The AI interviewed 20 men from Nepal, who were apprehended by Qatari police, alongside hundreds of others, in March, the press note reads, adding that the police told most of the men that they were going to be tested for Covid-19 and will be returned to their accommodation afterwards. “Instead, they were taken to detention centres and held in appalling conditions for several days, before being sent to Nepal.”

“None of the men we spoke to had received any explanation for why they were treated this way, nor were they able to challenge their detention or expulsion,” Amnesty International’s (AI) deputy director of Global Issues Steve Cockburn said, adding that after spending days in inhumane detention conditions, many were not even given the chance to collect their belongings before they were put on planes to Nepal. “It is disturbing that the Qatari authorities appear to have used the pandemic as a smokescreen for further abuses against migrant workers, many of whom feel police misled them by saying that they were to be ‘tested’.”

Covid-19 is no excuse for arbitrarily rounding people up, he added.

“The authorities must provide reparations for the way that these men have been treated, and consider allowing those who have been expelled to return to Qatar if they so wish,” he said, “The men’s employers must also urgently pay the salary and employment benefits they are owed.”

On March 12-13, hundreds of migrant workers were rounded up and detained by police in parts of Doha including the Industrial Area, Barwa City, and Labour City, the TI press note reads, adding that they were apprehended whilst away from their accommodation, carrying out errands or shopping for groceries.

Some workers said the police specifically told them that they were being taken to be tested for Covid-19, and would be brought back to their accommodation later. Other workers said the police spoke to them in Arabic and the only word they could understand was ‘Corona’.

One man told Amnesty International, “We were asked to stop to test for the virus. Police told us that the doctor would come and check the virus. But they lied to us.”

The men were then crammed on to buses, and taken to a detention facility in the Industrial Area, where their documents and mobile phones were confiscated, before having their photographs and fingerprints taken, the AI press note further reads, adding that the workers were detained in inhumane conditions alongside scores of other people from various countries. “They were held in overcrowded cells without beds or bedding, and not given enough food or water.”

One Nepali man told AI: “The jail was full of people. We were given one piece of bread each day, which was not enough. All the people were fed in a group, with food lying on plastic on the floor. Some were not able to snatch the food because of the crowd.”

Out of the 20 interviewed, only three said they had their temperature checked while they were in the detention facility.

While they were in detention, the men Amnesty International interviewed were told they were being expelled, with some only learning about it while being taken to the airport. Some were expelled on March 15, and others on March 19. None were able to challenge their detention or expulsion.

Some were given just a few minutes to pack their belongings, while others were not given the chance to collect anything at all. One man said, “I was handcuffed and treated like a criminal. I was taken to my camp to collect belongings, but how could I collect and pack the luggage since my hands were chained?”

Most workers said they had their temperatures taken at Hamad International Airport before boarding their flights, and again upon landing in Kathmandu.

Some said the police threatened to bring criminal charges against them and keep them in the detention facility longer if they complained or tried to challenge the situation, the press note reads.

Of the 20 people interviewed, only two said they have been contacted by the companies they worked for, offering to pay their salaries. One man said he was given cash by his company whilst in detention, but a police officer took it for ‘safekeeping’ and failed to return it. The other man said his company asked him to open a bank account to send him his wages.

All of the workers left Qatar without receiving their owed salary and end-of-service benefits, a particular concern as many will have spent huge sums on securing jobs in Qatar and may well be paying back high-interest loans.

One man said, “It is difficult now. My children do not have clothes, it is tough to feed them.” Another said he was being threatened by a moneylender and was struggling to support his five children.

In response to Amnesty International’s evidence, the Qatari government said that while inspecting the Industrial Area as part of the Covid-19 response, “officials uncovered individuals engaged in illegal and illicit activity. This included the manufacture and sale of banned and prohibited substances, along with the sale of dangerous food goods that could seriously threaten the health of people if consumed”.

However, 18 of those interviewed by AI said they were not aware of any charges or accusations brought against them. Two others said that a fellow detainee who spoke Arabic told them that they were accused of supplying alcohol. Neither the police nor any officials informed them of such charges, which they strongly denied to AI.

AI reviewed documents in Arabic that were given to the men, which do not suggest they were charged with any criminal offence. In any event, none of the men interviewed were allowed to challenge the legality of their detention and eventual expulsion, as required under international human rights law.

Nepal, Qatar vow to clamp down on recruiters charging migrant workers

Qatar and Nepal vowed to clamp down on outsourcers that illegally took money from Qatar-bound Nepali migrant workers.
During a meeting today in Kathmandu with a visiting Qatari delegation led by labour and social welfare minister of Qatar Abdullah Saleh Mubarak Al-Khulaifi, Nepal asked to arrange for free of cost recruiting for Nepali migrant workers.
Nepali side led by state minister for labour Tek Bahadur Gurung asked Qatari counterpart to make it binding for employers to bear the commission paid to the recruiting agencies and agents in order to ensure cost-free hiring of Nepali migrant workers to Qatar.
Nepali migrant workers are forced to pay between Rs 70,000 and Rs 100,000 despite Qatar’s pledge to make recruitment cost-free for migrant workers. Though the government has allowed outsourcers to charge up to Rs 20,000 in fees, many recruiting agencies charge even for free visa and tickets for the second most lucrative destination for Nepali migrant workers.
Qatar has however, categorically said that its laws did not permit foreigners hired to work pay anything in the process.
Qatar – that needs more migrant workers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup projects – said that its companies bear all he expenses involved in hiring a migrant worker.
If any Qatari companies charge to hire migrant workers, they will be punished, Al-Khulaifi said, adding that all hiring and travel expenses for migrant workers are borne by Qatari companies.
But the migrant workers are forced to pay exorbitant fees as the government failed to monitor and punish the outsourcing agencies and agents. Gurung also promised to blacklist manpower companies that charge money.
Though no agreement was signed today, the second day of the delegation's four-day official visit to Nepal, both the countries discussed on providing 24-hour insurance to Nepali migrant workers, compulsory orientation before taking jobs and strengthening workplace safety and security.
“Qatar’s insurance policy covers only work-related and road accidents," Gurung said, adding that the government hass asked visitors to provide 24-hour insurance cover throughout the contract period. "Apart from insurance, Qatar has also pledged to address most of the issues related to migrant workers in its proposed labour law."
Qatar is working on new labour laws that is expected to address most of the challenges facing – migrant workers, including good living and working conditions, occupational safety and life insurance.
According to Foreign Employment Promotion Board, it has reimbursed – from Migrant Workers’ Welfare Fund – some 205 families of  migrant workers, who died in Qatar in the fiscal year 2013-14, some 110 in 2012-13 and some 130 in 2011-12. But most of the deceased migrant workers have not got proper compensation from the employer as the Qatari law does not cover insurance for workers dying of 'natural cause', cardiac arrest or suicide.
However, the failure of successive governments in creating employment in the country has forced the mass exodus of youth to the foreign jobs, lately.
Qatar – the second largest destination for Nepali migrant workers after Malaysia – has some 400,000 Nepalis working currently, according to the department. "In the last fiscal year 2014-15, some 128,874 Nepalis went to Qatar, up from some 90,935 in a fiscal year ago in 2013-14," according to the department.

NRB prepares to issue Foreign Employment Savings Bond

Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) is planning to issue the Foreign Employment Savings Bond targetting the Nepali citizens working abroad.
This bond will be sold only to the Nepali citizens working in North Korea, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, at present, said the central bank. Each bond will yield 9.75 per cent of interest and the issuing agency will get the commission of 0.25 per cent of the total amount while floating the primary issue.
The NRB has asked for the applications from licensed remittance service providers to work as an agent in the foreign countries to undertake the trading of this particular foreign employment bond. Only those remittance service providers that have a valid licence to operate its business in those any one or all of the five countries are allowed to apply.
The central bank spokesperson Gopal Kafle said that the Foreign Employment Bond will be able to bring the money earned by foreign employees in the formal channels. According to Kafle, "the workers can be able to earn higher interest from the purchase of this bond."
"This bond will help achieve multiple targets like it will help in increasing capital inflow to the nation and the cash will come through proper channels instead of going through hundis and other informal channels,” he said adding that due to some procedural technicalities the central bank has been little late. "But we are hopeful that the bonds will be sold in the primary market before the end of the fiscal year,” he added.
The Foreign Employment Bond (FEB) visualised in the budget for the fiscal year 2009-10 had targetted to collect Rs 7 billion. However, it seems the target has to be revised and the bond worth Rs 1 billion will be sold till the end of the fiscal year. The budget has promised to utilise remittance in productive sector. However, the fiscal year coming to an end in two months.
"The bond will be utilised to develop big projects,” said Purna Chandra Bhattrai, joint secretary of Ministry of Labour and Transport Management (MoLTM), who is also the member of FEB committee. "The committee has suggested the government to offer 9.75 per cent interest rate."
"As the banks and financial institutions are offering higher interest than offered by the FEB, we have to revise it," he said adding that conditions of tax rebate will also come in action plan.
"It will come soon after implementing process will be selected,” Bhattarai added. Bank and financial institutions will get 0.25 per cent commission when selling the bond.
Foreign Employment Promotion Board (FEPB) has conducted series of consultation meetings with banks, financial companies and remittance companies to implement the bond. However, its already the 11th month of the current fiscal year and the bond issuance might take another couple of months making it an ambitious and yet another paper-plan of the government. Around 1.2 million Nepalis are working in South Korea, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar. The government is targeting around 10 to12 per cent of migrant workers to sell the bond.

GLOBAL CRISIS-4: Meltdown hits work destination Qatar

Global financial crisis has hit the construction sector in Qatar -- a country that has been the most favoured destination of Nepali migrant workers -- forcing the sector to halt new recruitment.
Though Nepal's ambassador to Qatar Surya Nath Mishra said Qatar has approved 1,12,000 new visas for Nepalis, data from the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) tells a different and stark story.
According to the department, only 6,413 Nepalis left for Qatar in the seventh month -- from mid-January to mid-February -- of this fiscal year. In 2008, an average of 3,647 Nepalis left for Qatar and the trend is decreasing in 2009 despite the envoy's assurance that recession will only hit Qatar next year in 2010. Around 95 per cent of the Nepalis employed in Qatar work in the construction sector there, according to the envoy.
Major construction companies in Qatar have halted new projects and that is hitting all Nepali workers directly. In the first seven months of this fiscal year, Qatar absorbed a total of 46,202 Nepali migrant labourers. The number is down from 47,509 during the corresponding period last year.
Qatar presently employs some 2,86,511 Nepali employees, according to official data. It is one of the countries with which Nepal has entered into a bilateral labour agreement. According to the pact, officials from two countries will meet every two years. "The meeting between the officials could help to clarify the confusion," the envoy added.
The bilateral labour accord between Nepal and Qatar came into force from January 20, 2008, ensuring better pay and perks for Nepali workers though the two countries had signed the labour pact in 2005.
The then Labour Minister Ramesh Lekhak and his Qatari counterpart Dr Sultan bin Hassan Al Dhabit Al Dousari had last January signed an addendum protocol -- to formally implement the labour pact inked some two years ago -- in Qatar's capital Doha. According to the protocol, Nepali workers would get paid at par with other overseas employees at around 800 riyals. The initial cost for Nepalis to get employment in Qatar also went down by 50 per cent.
Nepal and Qatar signed the bilateral labour pact on March 21, 2005. The pact -- signed by the then foreign minister Ramesh Nath Panday -- remained inactive because neither side took any initiative to bring it into practice until 2008.
After the pact came into effect, Nepali workers were expected to get remuneration and facilities as specified by the labour law of Qatar. The accord ensured Nepali migrant workers' legal status in accordance with other migrant workers' countries with whom Qatar has signed labour pacts.
Qatar emerged as the most popular destination for most of the unskilled and manual works in construction works. A small number of Nepalis is also working in the service sector like petrol pumps, hotels, restaurants and shopping malls. "One per cent of Nepalis work in the technical sector, 0.5 per cent in service sector, 0.3 per cent in the health sector and 0.2 per cent are self-employed," said Mishra.
Qatar had overtaken Malaysia as the most popular destination for Nepali jobseekers.

GLOBAL CRISIS-1: Out-of-work migrant workers apparent return spells doom

The global economic crisis heightens the potential for social unrest back at home when thousands of Nepali migrant workers suddenly out of work return home and demand government to take swift and decisive action.
"The flood of unemployed returning migrants could poses big challenges to social stability," said Ganesh Gurung, a social scientist, adding, "Nepal may have social unrest, only if 10 per cent of the total 2.5 million migrant workers return."
After work started drying up in Malaysia, Qatar and Dubai -- key destinations of Nepali migrant workers -- the government is also worried. It has asked its envoys to the affected countries to get first-hand information. However, they seem to sound more optimistic that the crisis may not impact Nepali workers, more than 80 per cent of whom are involved in the construction sector.
A six-year boom in Dubai that turned sand dunes into a glittering metropolis, creating the world's tallest building, its biggest shopping mall and, some say, a shrine to unbridled capitalism, is grinding to a halt forcing Nepali construction workers to return home.
However, Arjun Bahadur Thapa, Nepal's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), cited the UAE government's stimulus package of over $40 billion -- that is not related to job creation -- and claimed that the construction sector was not panicking.
Still, the demand has been continuously dropping. In December 2008 the Nepali embassy in the UAE received a labour demand of 1,129 but in January the demand dropped to 813 proving Thapa wrong.
"In 2008, the demand for Nepali workers totalled 37,704 and in 2007 it was 35,131 -- including construction sector, security and others," Thapa said.
But Dubai, one of seven states that make up the UAE, is in crisis. The real estate bubble that propelled the frenetic expansion of Dubai on the back of borrowed cash and speculative investment has burst.
Half of all the UAE's construction projects, totalling $582 billion, have either been put on hold or cancelled, leaving a trail of half-built towers on the outskirts of the city stretching into the desert.
Among the casualties is the tower Donald Trump promised would be the ultimate in luxury, a $100 billion resort complex by the beach, and four huge theme parks and an artificial island developed by the state company Nakheel.
The banks have stopped lending and the stock market has plunged by 70 per cent. "Perhaps those who suffer most are construction workers from the South Asian subcontinent, who have carried out perilous work on building sites earning as little as £70 a month," according to a report.
Dubai, which has barely a trickle of oil in comparison, is projecting a 42 per cent increase in public spending on infrastructure projects, to compensate for vanishing private investment.
Low-paid Asian workers, including Nepalis who toil long days to build the skyscrapers of Dubai have become the latest victims of the global financial crisis as companies run short of business and money.
For many years, the Gulf emirate was a magnet for South Asian workers who fed the booming economy with cheap manpower -- from cleaners and gardeners to skilled and unskilled builders.
A report issued earlier this month showed that $582 billion worth of building projects in the UAE, of which Dubai is a part, had been put on hold due to the slowdown. That was 45 per cent of the total.
Six years of spectacular growth in the UAE construction sector, mainly in Dubai, absorbed hundreds of thousands of workers, mostly from South Asia. That had a knock-on effect, creating further opportunities for migrants. But the financial crisis, mainly in construction and related industries, is reversing that trend, forcing foreign workers to go home.
Even for labourers who were brought to the UAE on a work visa to satisfy the needs of the once-booming economy, many are receiving the pink slip. The companies told them not to come back until they called.
"The companies tell the workers that they do not have much work and that there is shortage of money," Thapa said adding that In the past, workers were not taking vacations, even after four years of continuous work as there was a huge work load till the immediate past.
"It appears some of the unpaid 'vacations' are simply a way of getting rid of people without having to pay them off," the Nepali envoy said adding but the embassy has suggested them to contact embassy, if any such proposal is received. Being market based economy the UAE government do not interfere in the private sector’s decisions making the Nepali migrant workers more vulnerable to be laid off.

Number game
KATHMANDU: There are 1,25,277 Nepalis in the UAE, according to the official data. Equal number of Nepalis are in the UAE unofficially. Till September 10, 2008, the UAE had over 1.5 million Indians, 0.3 million Philippines and 1,25,277 nepalis, informed Nepali ambassador to the UAE Arjun Bahadur Thapa. Majority of Nepalis are in construction sector and very few are in security, service sector (hotel) and some are drivers. The Nepalis in UAE send hone back a total of Rs 4.28 billion remittance in 2006 and in 2007 they sent Rs 4.49 billion.

From desert to builders' paradise
DUBAI: Dubai was turned from a desert backwater into one of the world's most awe-inspiring cities in less than 50 years. Its ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, is determined to make Dubai the global centre for finance, leisure and tourism. "In the race for excellence, there is no finish line," he said, and Dubai has grown exponentially into the desert, sky and sea. When its artificial Palm Islands -- Jumeriah, Jebel Ali and Deira -- are complete, they will have added 320 miles to Dubai's Persian Gulf coastline.
A tax haven, Dubai has encouraged foreigners to join the building frenzy -- the native Emirati make up less than 20 per cent of the population. The city hosts some of the planet's most spectacular buildings, as well the tallest -- the Burj Dubai -- which reached 818 metres in January. But it has also become known for its conspicuous consumption. It uses more water per capita than anywhere else -- a costly exercise when it comes from the sea. It boasts the 'seven star' hotel Burj Al Arab, the recently opened Dubai Mall, one of the world's largest, and, on the edge of the desert, a 22,500-sq-metre ski resort. -- The Guardian

Nepalis migrant workers abroad are vulnerable

The experts and diplomats today said that foreign employment was not a long-term solution.
Speaking at a seminar on 'Global Financial Recession and Its Impact on Foreign Employment' organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management, diplomats were of the view that global recession had hit albeit less the major countries where there is large concentration of Nepali migrant workers.
Nepali ambassadors from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel, Republic of Korea and Malaysia presented first-hand information about these countries and the condition of Nepali migrant workers there.
Inaugurating the seminar, Minister for Labour and Transport Management Lekhraj Bhatta said Nepali youths are compelled to go out for foreign employment due to lack of employment opportunities here at home.
The envoys giving the first hand account of these countires highlighted that the Nepalis missions abroad needs to be strenghtened to tackle such labour problems. "Construction sector in the most of the countries in the Gulf and Malaysis is hit by the recession and majority of Nepalis are employed in this sector making them more vulnerable," they opined.

Outbound worker torrent slows, falls from 656 per day to 400 per day

The tide of Nepali migrant workers leaving for various destinations abroad has ebbed after the government stopped issuing work permits for Malaysia and other countries also reduced the number of Nepali unskilled migrant workers. According to the Department of Foreign Employment (DoEF), in the month of Poush, the number of Nepali foreign job-seekers dropped to 12,313. It was was 18,685 in Mangsir and 20,543 a month earlier in Kartik.
Till couple of months ago, 656 Nepalis used to leave for foreign jobs but now only 400 Nepalis -- that is 256 less per day -- leave for the foreign job.
Taking cue from the global economic meltdown, the Gulf countries -- major markets for Nepali migrant workers -- have reduced the workforce strength especially unskilled hands and those working in manufacturing and service sectors.
Labour expert Dr Chiranjivi Nepal said the government should tackle this issue diplomatically. "Nepali diplomatic agnecies in those countries have failed totally," he alleged. Dr Nepal also suggested that they could use the laid-off workforce for reconstruction. "The capital expenditure has been very less this year compared to last year," he said adding that if the government has positive intentions it should start mega projects and employ Nepali youths.
Instead, the government is scouring for new destinations like Oman and Libya to mitigate the crisis. "What can be more risky?" Dr Nepal said. Libya and Oman both have 30 per cent and 15 per cent unemployment. Besides, there is no Nepali mission in either country.
Japan is another lucrative market to where the government has started the process for sending trainee workers. "But this also is for a limited number of semi-skilled and trainee workers, not unskilled ones," said Dr Nepal.
The drop in number of migrant workers will hit remittance which in turn will put more pressure on government exchequer. The impact of the drop in number of outbound workers will be on next year's remittance as the first half of this fiscal year has already passed. Remittance is a lifeline for the Nepali economy.
"In the long run, it might have an impact," opined Atish Shrestha, country manager of Western Union, one of the major remittance companies. "Remittance from the US and the European countries has seen nominal drop," he said adding that till December, the transaction size was around $1100 per month but in January it came down to $800.

Top 10 destination
KATHMANDU: Malaysia tops the list of top 10 destinations in proportion to the number of Nepali migrant workers, according to official figures. Qatar comes second followed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Quwait.
Malaysia -- 4,26,778
Qatar -- 3,50,453
Saudi Arabia -- 2,31,444
United Arab Emirates -- 1,48,249
Quwait -- 13,420
Bahrain -- 11,220
South Korea -- 6,378
Hong Kong -- 4,213
Oman -- 3,525
Israel -- 2,650

More Qatar visas
DOHA: The government of Qatar has approved 1,12,000 working visas for Nepali workers for 2009. According to Dr Surya Nath Mishra, Nepali ambassador to Qatar, 1,64,000 more visas are in than pipeline. "If so many Nepali workers come here, they would be the largest foreign community here," Dr Mishra said after meeting Qatari Labour Minister Dr Sultan Bin Hasan. He said his meeting with Dr Hasan's on Tuesday was fruitful and cordial. "The Qatari government has clarified that the global meltdown would not affect either the country or Nepali workers working here," the Nepali envoy said. -- RSS

Nepalis' plight
DOHA: Poor implementation of the government's decision to stop Nepali domestic workers from working in Qatar has led to dire consequences. Nepali women continue to enter this country and some of them meet an unimagined fate. Earlier, the plight of Nepali domestic workers was an unheard of matter in Qatar, with only numerous of cases of exploitation and deceiving reported in Saudi Arabia. More women, after finding themselves at the receiving end of exploitation and cheating, are taking refuge at Nepali embassy here. In recent times, the number of their arrival in Doha is on the rise with the Nepali Embassy rescuing eight, including two on Friday alone, in the last one month. The duo -- Asha Bhujel and Anita Nepali -- were lured by Nepali agents on the pretext of good jobs and landed here via Mumbai. Meanwhile, 10 Nepali workers were killed in separate incidents in Qatar in January, according to the embassy. . Most of them died in road accidents, it said. The embassy added that incidences of Nepali workers dying in accidents in this Gulf country are on the rise. – RSS

Laid off migrant workers to be compensated

Migrant workers returning from the Gulf countries and Malaysia due to job cuts there will get compensation."The compensation can be paid after a worker provides enough proof that the lay-off was due to global economic recession," said Sthaneshwor Devkota, executive director of the Employment Promotion Board (EPB).
The recruiting company or Nepali embassy in that country should give in writing that the worker had to return due to economic recession and not due to other reasons, he said adding that the compensation will be borne half by the government and half by the man-power agency that had sent the worker.
The government will provide compensation from the welfare fund set up to protect the migrant workers' rights. "Around Rs 24.5 million is put aside from the welfare fund for compensation," he said adding that if a worker returns after six months, 40 per cent of the expenses would be compensated. Similarly, if a worker returns after a year, 25 per cent of the expenses would be compensated.
However, a three-member committee headed by Devkota, an undersecretary from the Foreign Ministry and the president of Nepal Foreign Employment Agencies' Association Tilak Ranabhat will decide on the compensation claims.Meanwhile, a study team headed by Minister for Transport Management and Labour Lekh Raj Bhatta will leave for Sri Lanka and the Philippines to study the crisis management on how thwy are coping with lay off of their migrany workers. Another team headed by Labour Secretary will visit Dubai, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to study the ground realities.Last friday, the government stopped issuing new work permits to Nepali jobseekers for Malaysia until further notice following an announcement by the Malaysian government to stop recruitment of foreign workers.
Qatar has also reduced its foreign workforce after it felt the heat of economic recession. The Gulf country and the East Asian country have more concentration of Nepali workforce, especially in manufacturing and service sectors.
The suspension of new work permits for Malaysia will hit remittance that had kept the Nepali economy afloat even during the conflict period. Of the total remittance, that from Saudi Arabia tops the list followed by Qatar and Malaysia. The total contribution of remittance to the GDP is 17.4 per cent. If remittance drops by half, the forex and foreign trade will also be hit. The spiralling effect will then hit financial institutions.
Every month, 3,500 Nepali job-seekers used to leave for Malaysia. Of the total foreign workforce in Malaysia, Nepalis comprise a significant 25 per cent. There are 2.1 million foreign workers in Malaysia, of which 0.4 million are Nepali.
The Nepali mission in Malaysia had requested the MoLTM not to issue new permits for Malaysia due to job insecurity for workers. More than 50,000 Nepalis left for Malaysia through official channels during 2007-08.