MINISTRY OF LABOR HOLDS FIRST EXHIBITION ON

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 000966 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/INS, G/TIP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ELAB SMIG NP SUBJECT: MINISTRY OF LABOR HOLDS FIRST EXHIBITION ON FOREIGN EMPLOYMENT MINISTRY OF LABOR HOLDS FIRST EVER EXHIBITION ON FOREIGN EMPLOYMENT -------------- -------------- ¶1. (SBU) On April 5, the Ministry of Labor and Transport Management (MLTM) organized and funded its first ever one-day exhibition on foreign employment at Kathmandu's convention center. MLTM spokesperson Dhruba Sharma, said the purpose for organizing the exhibition was to acquaint overseas job seekers with accurate information about foreign employment and the services available to assist them in order to prevent Nepalis from being misled by foreign employment agencies, and possibly being trafficked. MLTM also provided adequate information on its pre-employment process, which is required to be followed by all persons wishing to work abroad. The exhibition had 16 stalls, including manpower agencies, foreign employment training centers, health clinics, and money transfer agencies. State Minister for MLTM Rabindra Khanal, in his inaugural address to open the exhibition, said the government was always willing to work with all stakeholders in the foreign employment sector to "establish it as a respectable profession." 109 FOREIGN EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES ON LABOR DEPARTMENT BLACKLIST -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) According to news reports, Dhruba Sharma said that the exhibition supplied information about manpower agencies blacklisted by MLTM. Director of the MLTM's Labor Department, Prajal Sharma, told Emboff that the Labor Department had investigated each of 484 complaints received against foreign employment agencies from April 15, 2005 to date. He noted that over the past two years, Labor Department investigations had resulted in the cancellation of 109 foreign employment agencies' operating licenses and placement of these agencies on MLTM's blacklist. COMMENT -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The foreign employment exhibition is a positive example of the willingness and initiative of His Majesty's Government of Nepal (HMGN) to combat trafficking in persons in the foreign labor sector. MORIARTY