Kathmandu: The Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security (MoLESS) is ramping up efforts to secure new labor destination countries for Nepali workers. In a recent announcement, the ministry revealed that bilateral labor agreements with Oman and Spain are currently in progress.
Following high-level discussions, a draft labor agreement with Oman has been submitted to the Omani government for approval. Once received in Nepal, it will be forwarded to the cabinet for final endorsement. Additionally, negotiations for a labor agreement with Spain are advancing through the exchange of letters.
Kabiraj Upreti, an information officer at MoLESS, confirmed that the ministry is not only working on new agreements but also renewing existing ones with Malaysia, Qatar, and South Korea. The zero-cost labor agreement with Malaysia, a key destination for Nepali workers, is set to expire on October 28, five years after it was signed in 2018. MoLESS officials noted that renewals with Qatar and South Korea are also in progress.
Upreti stated, “New labor agreements with Oman and Spain will be signed soon, while renewals with Malaysia, Qatar, and South Korea are ongoing.” The agreement with Malaysia has been finalized on Nepal’s side and sent to the Malaysian government via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with a response still awaited.
During its first 100 days, the MoLESS has prioritized both the search for new labor destinations and the renewal of existing agreements. A task force, led by the head of the Employment Management Division, is currently focused on renewing the Employment Permit System (EPS) with South Korea and labor agreements with both Malaysia and South Korea.