June 14: Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Krishna Kumar Shrestha informed that the incumbent government was doing homework to guarantee social security for workers in informal sector and the self-employed ones.    
Responding to the queries raised on the Appropriation Bill-2079 BS, Minister Shrestha said on Monday that laws and legislations were being formulated to bring self-employed and informal sector workers under the ambit of social security.    
Directives for reintegration of returnee migrant workers of Nepal has been presented to the Council of Ministers for approval, said Shrestha, adding that reintegration programmes such as 'Reintegration of Returnee Migrant Workers (ReMi) will soon be implemented with the support of the Swiss government while similar programmes will be enforced with the support of the South Korean government.    
To encourage the returnee migrants for entrepreneurship, awards and rewards programmes will implemented, the minister said.    
Furthermore, he shared that a five-year strategic plan was formulated for the first time by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, with the objective to promote self-employment programme among the returnee workers and guarantee their social security and other benefits such as accidental insurance and compensation among others.    
The minister mentioned that earlier the renewal of labour permit used to have a process of four rounds. “It has been cut down to two currently. A Help Desk has been set up in the concerned offices for facilitation of the service-seekers.”    
Currently, Nepalis are permitted to work in 178 countries with personal labour permit while to work in 111 countries, they need to obtain institutional labour permit.    
Against this backdrop, the minister shared that preparation was afoot to ink labour pact with the UK for the first time. He also shared that preparation was underway at his initiations to ink labour pact with the Maldives, Seychelles and Israel.     
The ministry held consultations with heads of 16 foreign diplomatic missions in Nepal as well as the representatives of international organizations to address the issues faced by Nepalis migrant workers and to protect the professional security of Nepalis migrant workers abroad.
The Minister said five shelter homes have been set up in Oman, Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to house the stranded and rescued Nepali migrant workers. Moreover, Labour Consular and Labour Attaché have been appointed in Qatar, Malaysia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.    
Budget has been allocated to prepare DPR for construction of a Labour Hospital. Minister Shrestha expressed his confidence that foreign employment management will undergo changes and as many as workers could come under the ambit of social security. -- RSS