January 26: The Government of Nepal is preparing to announce the Internal Migration Decade from 2081 to 91 BS, according to Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Sharat Singh Bhandari.    
Speaking at a programme organised to launch the Nabil Skilled Overseas Entrepreneurship Loan programme on Thursday, the minister shared government’s plan of observing the National Migration Decade beginning from next year.    
He said that a taskforce is working on the national migration policy.

"We are responsible for preventing the plight of domestic workforce through the promotion of job creation internally. Currently, the development of an internal employment information system is underway towards that end," he said.    
Labour Minister Bhandari said that although foreign employment has been a great support for the country's gross domestic product, the exodus of workforce has caused issues in the domestic labour market. Youths are forced to go outside in lack of job opportunities at home.    
He also acknowledged that the government has not been able to create a favourable atmosphere for foreign migrant returnees to utilise their skills and capital back at home.    
Also speaking on the occasion, Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Kewal Prasad Bhandari said climate change and poverty are the factors promoting domestic and foreign migration.    
There is a big circle of domestic migration. The statistics state that rural-urban migration is increasing, according to Secretary Bhandari.    
He also took time to urge banks and financial institutions to support build a working atmosphere for foreign returnees back home. He also advocated for a bank loan facility to those pursuing foreign employment so as to liberate them from the situation of seeking loans at an exorbitant interest rates.    
This scheme launched by the Nabil Bank is targeted at those returns from overseas.    
The bank ‘schief executive officer, Gyanendra Prasad Dhungana, said the scheme will be helpful for overseas returnees in starting income-generating business and enterprises. It is available at a soft interest rate, a minimum service charge by keeping the proposed project as collateral.    
According to the bank, this loan is available at 1.5 percent interest rates with the ceiling of Rs 100 million. It will be provide in four different categories and the duration of loan payment is of 10 years. -- RSS