Govt to run Returnee Entrepreneurship Programme

KATHMANDU: Minister for Labour, Employment, and Social Security Dol Prasad Aryal has announced that the government is preparing to implement the Returnee Entrepreneurship Programme to create employment opportunities for migrant workers returning to Nepal.

During the discussion on the Appropriation Bill, 2081 in the House of Representatives (HoR) meeting on Sunday, Minister Aryal emphasised the need to create an environment conducive to retaining returnee migrants within the country. The Returnee Entrepreneurship Programme aims to leverage the knowledge, skills, and capital of these workers.

Additionally, reintegration programmes targeting returnees are being implemented at 20 local levels in  Koshi and Madhes provinces. Minister Aryal also highlighted that provisions have been put in place to issue labour permits to migrant workers within an hour by operating the Labor Office in two shifts.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister's Employment Programme will be restructured to align with skill development and entrepreneurship. The National Employment Management Information System will serve as an employment bank, connecting job seekers with employers in the labour market.

Regarding compensation, Minister Aryal proposed increasing the amount to Rs 1 million for families of deceased individuals who worked abroad. Other economic assistance and scholarships for the families of injured or deceased workers have also been simplified.

The government is actively exploring new labour destinations and renewing labour agreements with different countries. Recently, new labour agreements were signed with Germany and Romania, and bilateral labour agreements (BLAs) will be established with three more destination countries as outlined in the upcoming fiscal year's budget.

In response to HoR members' queries, Minister Aryal shared that over the past four years, approximately 4,000 Nepalis working abroad lost their lives while 870 others sustained critical injuries.