KATHMANDU: Former Minister for Labor, Employment and Social DP Aryal’s accusation that the ministry has become a ‘hub for collecting bribes’ has sparked controversy among ministry officials and people involved in the foreign employment sector.
Aryal claimed that bribes collected from workers by ministry officials reach even the minister, and that diplomatic missions in labor-receiving countries also funnel bribes to the labor minister’s table.
Speaking in the meeting of the House of Representatives last week, Aryal alleged that Rs 7.5 million in bribes is collected daily at the Tahachal-based Foreign Employment Office and that the money flows from lower-level employees to higher authorities. He also said that despite his requests to address these irregularities, neither the Director General of the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) nor the Labor Minister paid heed.
Aryal, who served as labor minister in the previous government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also accused the ministry of being run by intermediaries.
Recruitment company operators also echoed Aryal’s claims. Hari Pandey, chairperson of the Foreign Employment Entrepreneurs Unity Committee, told Himal Press that diplomatic missions in labor-receiving countries often create obstacles to solicit bribes. He claimed that some embassy staff refuse to authenticate documents without bribes, and labor office employees also demand bribes to expedite processes. “I have evidence of who takes bribes and which department’s employees are involved. I will present it if necessary,” he added.
Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security, Sharat Singh Bhandari, however, denied the allegations that the ministry has become a ‘bribe collection hub’. He expressed commitment to take action against any employees found guilty of collecting bribes. “If anyone can provide evidence that even a single rupee was taken as a bribe from the labor office, I will immediately take action against the individual, institution or even ministry employees and resign from my post. I challenge anyone to prove that I have taken bribes,” Bhandari told Himal Press.
Surya Prasad Khatri, the director general of the Department of Foreign Employment, also claimed that he was not aware of such activities. “The Foreign Employment Office is responsible for approving labor permits. There is no such money exchange happening there,” he said.
Recruitment company operators, however, have called for a thorough investigation into the matter, saying that allegations made by a former minister should be taken seriously.
How the money is distributed
Some employees of the DoFE also claim that bribes collected by labor office employees are shared among the labor minister, secretary, director general and other officials. A recently transferred official of the DoFE told Himal Press that officials of both the DoFE and the Foreign Employment Office take bribes from recruitment company operators when processing documents for individual visas. “Between Rs 8-10 million is collected in bribes every day. This money reaches the labor minister, secretary, administrative branch of the ministry, director general of the DoFE and even intermediaries connected to the labor office,” he said, adding that bribes are often solicited to resolve issues related to visa issuance, domestic worker visas, health checks, and individual visas.
According to the official, workers heading to Gulf countries and Malaysia face visa-related issues, which are resolved by accepting bribes of up to Rs 50,000 per worker. “For workers heading to Japan, Europe and other developed countries, bribes can range from Rs 90,000 to Rs 120,000 per worker. All these workers are handled by intermediaries connected to the labor office and recruitment companies.”
He added that employees who refused to work with intermediaries are transferred very soon. “Some recruitment companies are involved in human trafficking under the protection of high-ranking officials, including the Prime Minister and the Labor Minister,” the official added.
DoFE officials say that 300-400 service seekers face some issues every day and that intermediaries resolve them by taking bribes.
Ministry spokesperson Danduraj Ghimire dismissed the allegations. “These are just rumors. There is no truth to them. If anyone has concrete evidence of employees taking bribes, they should file a complaint. We will take immediate action,” he added.
