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 returnee migrant workers within the country.

During a discussion on the Appropriation Bill, 2081 in the House of Representatives (HoR) on Sunday, Minister Aryal emphasized the government's commitment to creating an environment conducive to retaining returnee migrants in the country.

The Returnee Entrepreneurship Programme aims to harness the knowledge, skills, and capital of returnee migrant workers within Nepal. Minister Aryal shared that reintegration programmes targeting returnees are already being implemented at 20 local levels in the Koshi and Madhesh provinces.

Minister Aryal also mentioned that provisions have been made to provide labor permits to migrant workers within an hour by running the Labour Office in two shifts. Furthermore, the Prime Minister Employment Programme will be restructured to link it with skill development and entrepreneurship.

He announced the establishment of the National Employment Management Information System, which will act as an employment bank to bridge employees and employers in the labor market.

Additionally, Minister Aryal proposed increasing the compensation amount for families of workers who died abroad to Rs 1 million, an increase of Rs 300,000. Provisions for other economic assistance and scholarships for families of injured or deceased workers have also been simplified.

Minister Aryal stated that the government is working to explore new labor destinations and renew labor agreements with different countries. The government has signed new labor agreements with Germany and Romania, and bilateral labor agreements (BLA) will be signed with three more destination countries as outlined in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

In response to HoR members, Minister Aryal reported that 4,000 Nepalis have died while working abroad in the past four years, and 870 others have been critically injured. -- RSS