Govt starts issuing labor approvals from UAE

KATHMANDU: The government has started issuing labor approvals for foreign employment from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well.

Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security, Sharat Singh Bhandari, inaugurated the service amid an event in Dubai on Thursday. Speaking on the occasion, Minister Bhandari said that the government is working to make the services provided by the state more convenient, simple and technology-friendly, keeping in mind the interests and well-being of migrant workers.

He added that the facility of obtaining labor approvals directly from the respective embassies would benefit Nepali workers, freeing them from the hassle of traveling back to Nepal. Minister Bhandari added this arrangement would gradually be extended to other embassies as well. “Since a large number of Nepali youth is engaged in foreign employment and remittances are a major source of income, it is the responsibility of the government to formulate necessary policies and provide timely services for the protection and welfare of Nepali workers,” he added.

Ambassador of Nepal to the UAE, Tej Bahadur Kshetri, said that the availability labor approval services through the embassy would make it easier for workers to access the facilities  provided by the government. He reiterated the embassy’s commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of Nepali workers in the UAE.

The event saw participation from representatives of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), the Nepali community in the UAE and other local organizations.

The Abu Dhabi embassy is the second, after Muscat, to provide labor approval services.