Kathmandu [Nepal], August 3 – Nepal’s Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security has denied allegations that the government is involved in creating a recruitment syndicate for sending Nepali workers to Malaysia rejecting claims that a select group of manpower agencies is receiving preferential treatment.
The ministry issued a statement on Monday after media reports and recruitment agencies alleged that officials had colluded to channel Malaysian job placements through a limited number of manpower companies effectively creating a monopoly in the recruitment process.
The allegations came after the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies accused authorities of attempting to introduce a syndicate in labour migration to Malaysia. The association claimed it had received information suggesting that a small group was influencing policy decisions and introducing additional procedures designed to benefit specific recruitment firms.
Responding to the claims, the ministry said there was no truth to reports of a government-backed recruitment monopoly.
In the statement, ministry spokesperson and Joint Secretary Pitambar Ghimire said the government remains committed to making Nepal’s foreign employment sector fair, competitive, transparent and worker-friendly. He said the ministry is vigilant against any attempt to limit competition or allow a handful of businesses to dominate overseas recruitment.
Ghimire added that the government is working to improve existing foreign employment policies, laws and procedures while expanding the use of information technology to make services more efficient and transparent.
The ministry also objected to what it described as rumours and misinformation linking it to the controversy, urging stakeholders and the media not to spread unverified claims. It stressed that cooperation among all concerned parties is essential to ensure a transparent and well-managed foreign employment system for Nepali migrant workers.
