The government has allocated Rs 9.13 billion to the Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security. Announcing the annual budget of the fiscal year 2079/80 in the joint sitting of both the houses of the federal parliament, Finance Minister Janardan Sharma said that Rs 9.13 billion has been allocated to the ministry for the fiscal year 2079-80.
Budget for the Fiscal Year 2079/80: Labor and employment
- Skill-oriented vocational training programs will be conducted in collaboration with the federal, provincial, and local levels to enable qualified manpower to enter the labor market through productive and dignified employment. Statistics will be updated to mention the qualifications, abilities, and skills of all the unemployed manpower. Agriculture and forestry, tourism, infrastructure, information technology, high-tech, and domestic and small-scale industries will be developed as pillars of job creation.
- The structure of the Prime Minister's Employment Program will be modified. Through this program, employment will be provided to the unemployed registered in the employment service center by identifying cultivable barren land in collaboration with the local level. Employment will be provided to 200,000 listed unemployed through the employment service center every year. I have allocated Rs. I have allocated Rs. 7.5 billion.
- At least 500,000 poor unemployed citizens will be registered as labor cooperatives at the concerned local level and Rs. Employment opportunities will be provided by engaging in development projects up to Rs. 100 million. Arrangements will be made to provide various skill-based training through labor cooperatives and to deploy workers in various project construction work on-demand basis.
- Records of all skill-trained persons across the country will be organized. A high-level coordination committee will be formed under the leadership of the Minister of Labor, Employment, and Social Security to make the employment-related programs being conducted by various agencies systematically and effective and eliminate duplication, and conduct skill-based training in a coordinated manner.
- National Labor Foundation will be formed to play a leading role in establishing good labor relations in industry and business, promoting collective bargaining, establishing reconciliation between employers and workers, enhancing the effectiveness of labor inspection, studying and researching of labor market and skills, development, and welfare work of workers.
- Food security identity cards will be provided to low-income workers and poor families by identifying them. Arrangements will be made to operate affordable shops at every local level and provide food items at concessional rates on the basis of the identity card.
- Foreign employment will be made safe, organized, and dignified. Necessary skill-based training will be provided as per the demand of the destination country to enhance the skills of the people going for foreign employment. The effectiveness of the existing labor agreement will be studied and reviewed by identifying new and attractive destination countries for foreign employment. Arrangements will be made to provide foreign employment-related services through an online system by upgrading the foreign employment management information system. I have made an arrangement to make the labor permit currently being provided by Kathmandu available online through all the labor and employment offices outside Kathmandu.
- Arrangements will be made to provide advanced information through a digital medium in case of workers' destination, type of work, remuneration, and social security. Arrangements will be made to provide relief, rescue, and other welfare services to Nepali citizens in foreign employees, and their families through the online system. Necessary arrangements will be made to provide telemedicine services to those who have gone for foreign employment. An accumulated investment fund will be operated for the workers in foreign employment by investing in the productive sector and distributing returns.
- An arrangement to encourage the citizens returning from foreign employees to work in the productive and self-employment sector by investing their acquired experience, skills, and capital and also to provide concessional loans for running the business. At the same time, multi-purpose training centers will be established and operated in all the provinces.
- Discrimination and violence will not be allowed in the workplace. The principle of equal pay for equal work will be effectively implemented. By making the labor audit systematic and effective, workers' rights, interests, occupational health and safety, minimum wage and compliance with labor laws will be ensured.
- With the effective implementation of the Child Labor Prevention Action Plan, 2075-85, all local levels will be declared child labor free. In order to protect the interest of the workers working on a daily wage, an agreement will be made between the employer and the worker.
- Necessary arrangements will be made to include self-employed citizens in the contribution-based citizen pension scheme. Citizens in the private and informal sectors and in foreign employment will be gradually included in the social security schemes run by the Social Security Corps.
- For the Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security Rs. 9 billion 130 million has been allocated.
