KATHMANDU, Dec 13: The Ministry of Labor and Employment (MoLE) has urged all returnee migrant workers to invest their earnings in business and other entrepreneurship activities to help make the economy more sustainable.

Stating that the ministry is ready to play a role of facilitator to unify returnee migrant workers, it stated the need for utilizing remittance for sustainable development of the country.


Speaking at the press conference organized at the MoLE on Sunday, secretary of the MoLE Ram Kumar Acharya said the right time has come to use the remittance for long-term economic benefits.

"Returnee migrants from South Korea and Israel in remarkable numbers have invested in agriculture," said he, adding, "Returnee migrants can create job opportunities in Nepal. So, the migrant workers from the Gulf countries and Malaysia should also think about utilizing their remittances."

Acharya also informed that MoLE has formed a committee to prepare a report for enforcing free-visa-free-ticket system and prepare a roadmap for its better implementation.

MoLE has made public a week-long program to celebrate the International Migrants Day in coordination with organizations working in the sector of foreign employment. The ministry has organized various district-level programs in 27 various districts as well.

MoLE spokesperson Govinda Mani Bhurtel informed that the International Migrants Day will be celebrated in four major destination countries -- UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabai and Malaysia -- by organizing interactions with migrant workers.

The Nepal government has opened 110 various countries for foreign employment but has signed MoUs with only five countries -- Japan, South Korea, Qatar, UAE and Baharain.

The United Nations (UN) passed a convention related to migrants workers in 1990. The general assembly of the UN on December 4, 2004 decided to celebrate 18 December as International Migrants Day. Nepal has been celebrating the International Migrants Day since 2006 but hasn't yet singed the convention of the UN.