Nepal fixes minimum wage for migrant workers in Oman

Muscat: Nepalese government has fixed minimum basic salary and food allowances for unskilled and domestic workers at OMR120 in Oman, according to a statement issued by the Nepalese Embassy in Muscat.
“Those sponsors willing to recruit Nepalese workers through individual recruitment will also have to provide two way air tickets to workers and obtain their visas, free of cost,” it said in a written communiqué issued this month.
Welcoming this decision, President of the Non-Resident Nepali Association, D B Chettri, said the embassy has also decided that only family members of those currently working in Oman can apply for individual visas/employment contracts on behalf of relatives.
“However, in absence of these relatives in Oman, the embassy may attest such a document, if the following conditions are fulfilled, where a job seeker had already worked in Oman or a professional.
“Except for an unskilled workers, who found a job for himself in Oman through online applications or interviews, and if the employment is provided by the Oman government entity or diplomatic missions based in Oman, application for attestation can be submitted by relatives through authorised representatives.
“Companies that do not meet these requirements may contact any registered manpower agency in Nepal before they obtain a visa, and follow the procedures the same way as they would do for group recruitments,” he said.
Earlier, Nepal stopped issuing labour permits to migrant workers whose air tickets and visa fees were not paid by prospective employers in Oman.
This comes after the government of Nepal decided to send workers abroad for employment at no cost. “The decision provides that recruiting countries willing to recruit Nepalese workers will have to provide two way tickets to all workers and obtain their visas free of cost,” said Rojina Tamrakar, chargé d’affaires of the Nepal Embassy in Muscat.
The official also noted that this rule applies to all Gulf countries, including Oman.
“The Government of Nepal, Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), issues labour permits to Nepalese workers going to GCC countries and Malaysia for foreign employment, only after ensuring the terms of free visa, free tickets (two way) and no other costs shall be deducted from the salaries of workers,” she said.
“Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) in Nepal can now issue labour permits to only those migrant workers whose applications are attached with letters by employers ready to pay for their air tickets and visa fees. And these employers’ letters should be attested to by the Nepal Embassy,” she said.
The Embassy of Nepal in Muscat, in this context, requests companies to clearly put this provision in the demand letter to the submitted in the Embassy for attestation.
“They are also requested to mention in their agreement with the concerned manpower agency in Nepal if any commission or service charges are being paid to manpower agencies in Nepal for recruitment purposes,” she remarked.