SAARC COMPLETES 25 YEARS

SAARC COMPELTES 25 YEARS

Kathmandu, 8 Dec.: The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has completed 26 years, RSS reports.

The regional grouping set up with the objective of promoting the living standards of the people and regional cooperation and amity has completed over two and half decades.

It has been working with a focus on poverty reduction, improving the living standards of the people of the region and the socio-cultural development.

The establishment of various mechanisms for building collaboration among the member countries and expanding the bilateral ties for enhancing regional cooperation has raised the people’s expectations as well as the hope, and confidence towards SAARC for the all-round development of the entire South Asia region.

In a message on the occasion of the completion of 26 years by SAARC, Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai said the day of December 8 provides us an opportunity to reflect upon the achievements and challenges of the Association in attaining the objectives enshrined in the Charter, i.e. to promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life through economic growth and social progress and cultural development in the region.

“In these 26 years of existence, SAARC has been able to set norms and build institutions in various areas that have provided good bases for expanding cooperation in the region. It has provided the most needed forum to the South Asian nations to deliberate and find solutions to the collective problems facing the region,” the Prime Minister stated.

Noting that the SAARC has become a household name synonymous to South Asia that out people cherish and treasure, in the journey of over two and a half decade, Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai pointed out that with focused implementation of the decisions taken at successive summits and meetings, SAARC has potentials to become an important vehicle for growth and prosperity through enhanced trade, connectivity and interchange of people and ideas.

We have already begun this course by the establishment of the South Asian Development Fund, South Asian University and commencement of South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), he added.

The Prime Minister said our efforts to make SAARC a dynamic and vibrant association are reflected in the priority accorded to the poverty alleviation, intra-regional trade and investment promotion, connectivity and greater people-to-people contact.

Such endeavours should result in concrete outcome that benefits the neediest people of the region, the prime minister said, adding that it was satisfying that SAARC has begin to receive fresh ideas from private sector, civil society, media and academia by providing a forum for deliberations and dialogues for the exchange of views.

“Emerging challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, terrorism and trans-national crimes are gaining prominence in SAARC forums. Our emphasis should now be on the implementation of the ideas that bring change in the lives of our people.”

Reaffirming Nepal’s commitment to the ideals and objectives of SAARC on this veryspecial day of the 26th anniversary of SAARC, Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai also expressed firm desire on behalf the Government andpeople of Nepal, to continuing partnership with member states of SAARC to foster further collaboration and cooperation for achieving prosperity and development of our people in the region.

FM Shrestha stresses robust SAARC

In a message on the same occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Narayan Kaji Shrestha has said Nepal was ready to fulfill her part in the collective endeavor of making the SAARC a more robust vehicle of regional cooperation.

Giving a message on the occasion of the 27th Charter Day of the SAARC on Wednesday, Minister Shrestha reiterated the continued collaboration and cooperation with fellow member states to further strengthening of the bond of South Asian fraternity.

It was a time to focus on the implementation of commitments into tangible results, he said, adding that our goal of shared economic prosperity can be spread in the region only through enhanced trade and investment and removal of trade barriers.
Nnnn



________________________________________

QATAR BECKONS NEPALI LABOURERS BUT AGENCIES HARD PRESSED
Kathmandu, 8 Dec : As Qatar gears up for the soccer World Cup in 2022, manpower agencies in Nepal are struggling to meet the increasing demand for unskilled construction workers from the first Gulf nation chosen to host the biggest of football tournaments, Om Astha Rai reports in Republica.
Nepali manpower agencies say that the vexed process of sending workers overseas and the difficulties of obtaining machine-readable passports (MRPs) have compounded the challenge of supplying the unskilled workers demanded by Qatar.

The Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) recently adopted a string of new measures making it harder for manpower agencies to send migrant workers to the Gulf.

"Basically, Qatar needs unskilled workers for the construction of soccer stadiums and metro rail lines for the World Cup. However, most Nepali workers prefer indoor jobs over construction work," says Som Lal Bataju, chairman of the Nepalese Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA), adding, "This is why there has been a huge shortage of Nepali workers available for sending to Qatar. The process of sending workers to the Gulf, which was relatively easy until some time ago, coupled with the difficulty of obtaining passports, have of course added to the woes."

It is not clear how many workers Qatar requires from Nepal since there is no single mechanism overseeing the labor demand from any Gulf country. "All we can say at the moment is Qatar needs thousands of workers from Nepal, like never before," says Narayan Parajuli, director of Prudential Manpower Agency, which has been sending Nepalis to Qatar.

"We are able to supply hardly 30 per cent of Qatar´s demand for construction workers."

Parajuli´s manpower agency has been receiving a quota of at least 500 unskilled workers from different Qatari construction companies in recent months. Parajuli, however, says, "It´s hard for us to find enough workers willing to go to Qatar."

According to Parajuli, some Qatari companies have offered to pay air fare and visa fees to overcome the shortage of Nepali migrant workers.

"Nepali workers can go to Qatar without having to pay for medical check up and insurance," he says. "Despite all this, not many workers are available."

A.N.S. Associates (Pvt) Ltd, one of Nepal´s leading manpower agencies, has been asked by a Qatari company to send at least 4,000 workers.

"Recently, representatives of the company visited Nepal to seek workers. They have demanded at least 4,000 workers from my agency alone," says Kusang Sherpa, director of A.N.S. Associates, adding, "They are currently building a large camp to house migrant workers. They are expected to finish work on the camp in two months. We´ll have to begin supplying the workers after that. However, given the current situation, it´s a little difficult for us to send workers on such a large scale."

An unskilled worker generally earns the equivalent of over Rs 22,000 in Qatar, apart from food and lodging. "Some companies are taking workers without requiring them to pay a single penny," says NAFEA President Bataju, adding, "Generally, workers need to pay agents Rs 20,000-70,000 to go to Qatar." The demand for Nepali workers is high partly because Qatar has not been taking workers from Bangladesh for the last few years.

"But if we fail to meet the supply, Qatar may start taking Bangladeshi workers again," says Sherpa of A.N.S. Associates. "In fact I´ve heard from my Qatar-based business partners that Qatar is seriously thinking of looking to Bangladesh for construction workers."

Qatar recently overtook Malaysia and Saudi Arabia -- two most popular job destinations for Nepali workers -- in the number of unskilled laborers it brings from Nepal. In the month of Kartik (mid October-mid November) alone, Qatar hired 12,875 unskilled workers from Nepal -- far higher than any other Gulf country or Malaysia.
nnnn



________________________________________