Japan to take in Nepali workers

Japan to take in Nepali workers
eKantipur, 24-May-08
BY PRABHAKAR GHIMIRE

Japanese officials have agreed to accept Nepali semi-skilled and skilled trainee workers for employment with different business enterprises in Japan, said a top Nepali official.

Taking to the Post, Shyam Prasad Mainali, secretary at the Ministry of Labor and Transport Management (MoLTM), said officials of the two countries have signed Minutes of Understanding, specifying priorities in the process of recruiting Nepalis for jobs in Japan.

The minutes were signed in Tokyo by Mainali and the vice president of the Japan International Training and Co-operation Organization (JITCO) - the government entity there for overseeing the training and recruitment of workers.

Mainali said both sides agreed to designate Nepali institutions with authority to send trainees to one of the most lucrative labor destinations, and also to adopt measures to check possible cheating of job seekers during the recruitment process.

Japan is expected to absorb Nepali workers mainly in the industrial and agriculture sectors.

"We are in the process of setting criteria for selecting institutions that can undertake recruitment for Asia's largest economy," Mainali added. Both sides have also agreed to wipe out the possible role of middlemen between employers and designated Nepali institutions to minimize cheating.

"We see Japan becoming a destination for huge numbers of Nepali job aspirants who are skilled or semi skilled but we cannot estimate the exact demand there at this initial stage," said Mainali who also met the Japanese vice-ministers for justice and labor, local employers and JITCO officials.

During the meetings, Japanese officials put forwarded eligibility criteria for Nepali workers in Japan. According to Mainali, workers having knowledge of Japanese language and culture, good work experience and the skills that can be capitalized by the home country in future will be favored while selecting them for jobs.

Under the understanding, the trainee workers will get two years of training and one year of internship at work places in Japan, with handsome pay. He said during their trainee period the workers can earn between Rs 80,000 and Rs100,000 per month as allowance, excluding overtime, depending on the status of the employing companies.

Meanwhile, the officials of both countries also agreed in principle to recruit Nepali workers in Japan through the government level. "We are agreed in principal on a recruitment process through the government level without the involvement of any recruiting agencies," said Mainali, who held talks with the Japanese justice minister in this connection.

He said that the government would complete necessary homework within two months before initiating procedures in consultation with Japanese officials preparatory to sending Nepali workers to this most attractive labor destination.