MALAYSIA APPROVES NEW JOB QUOTA

MALAYSIA APPROVES NEW JOB QUOTA
Kathmandu 23 Feb :With the extension of the legalization phase of the amnesty program announced by the Malaysian government, Nepal has been forced to wait longer for the lifting of the virtual ban on new job quotas, Om Astha Rai reports in Republica

The Malaysian government has not approved fresh job quotas to Nepali manpower agencies since last June 10 -- the day the Malaysian amnesty program, popularly known as the 6-p Program, kicked off.

In the last eight months after the start of the amnesty drive, Nepali manpower agencies have been sending workers to Malaysia only in plantation and construction sectors. The approval of fresh job quotas in private sectors has been entirely stalled.

The legalization phase of the amnesty program -- which began after the massive drive of documenting legal and illegal foreign workers -- was previously scheduled to conclude on February 15. However, the February 15 deadline was extended to April 10 last week.

“With this extension, the entry of fresh Nepali workers to Malaysia, except for construction and plantation sectors, will remain halted until April,” said Kumud Khanal, general secretary of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA). “We will have to wait for new quotas.”

Over 15,000 Nepali workers used to go to Malaysia every month before the amnesty drive. Today, according to Khanal, the number of Nepali workers entering Malaysia has decreased by more than 50 per cent.

"Had it not been for government and semi-government sectors like construction and plantation, the overall outflow of workers would have been nil by now," says Khanal. "The outflow of fresh workers is already nil, though."

In the legalization phase, those Nepali workers who are deemed illegal, especially because they have either overstayed work visas or have lost passports by joining new companies, will have to secure legal status by finding new employers. Those workers who fail to find new employers before April 10 will be forced to return home.
The Malaysian authorities have publicly warned of taking strict actions against those who can not find new employers within the extended deadline and do not even return home.

In the previous phase of documenting foreign workers, about 33,000 Nepali workers were found working illegally in Malaysia. Of them, some 5,000 workers have returned by taking the advantage of the amnesty program, according to the Nepali Embassy in Malaysia.

The remaining Nepali workers are searching for new employers to secure legal status.
nnnn



________________________________________


________________________________________


CHAIRMAN PRACHANDA SAYS ARMY INTEGRATION WILL BE FINALIN WEEK
Kathamandu, 23 Feb.: Chairman of the UCPN-Maoist Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said that the calendar of army integration will be finalized very soon, The Rising Nepal reports from Pokhara.
Speaking at a memorial meeting of the president of All Nepal Writers Association late Ghanashyam Dhakal in Pokhara on Wednesday, Prachanda said that the calendar will be finalised within a week or so.
Prachanda disclosed that three key political parties are meeting on Thursday and expressed his hope that the meeting will come up with positive outcome on constitution drafting, peace process and formation of a national consensus government.
Prachanda expressed his optimism that the transition period will come an end soon. The nation will get a new constitution that will give a new direction to the country, he said.
The peace process is at a decisive juncture, the Maoist chief said, and added that the days ahead are very crucial as the peace process is heading towards its conclusion. The political parties have no choice but to remain united for fulfilling the goal of peace and constitution, he said.
He portrayed a complicated and challenging picture of the country’s political situation but said that the political parties are capable of managing it. What counts most are ideology, party line and tendencies. They are the factors which will help the parties to conclude the transition smoothly, Prachanda said.
Prachanda said that the nation was passing through critical phase of transition and warned that a failure to manage this situation will result in major disaster. However, that will not be the case because the parties are capable of averting it, he said.
The Maoist chief emphasized the need of unity and agreement among political parties for the creation of a prosperous Nepal.
Prachanda said that he had come into contact with Ghana Shyam Dhakal around 1983. Dhakal had refused the request to join the party’s central committee and instead continued to serve the party as a writer, he said.
Dhakal died in an accident at Exhibition Road of the capital on "ebruary 13 after he was hit by a motorcycle. He had come to the capital to attend a function held to mark the 17th anniversary of the Maoist People’s War.
Speakers including UCPN-Maoist’s Tamuwan State Committee in-charge Hit Raj Pandey, CPN-UML alternate politburo member Khaga Raj Adhikari and president of Nepali Congress Kaski district committee Yagya Bahadur Thapa lauded the contributions of late Dhakal in Nepali literature.
Nnnn


OWNER OF HIMAL GAS ARRESTED AMIDACUST GAS SHORAGE






Kathmandu, 23 Feb : A market monitoring team led by Minister for Commerce and Supplies Lekhraj Bhata Wednesday arrested D.R. Bhattarai, managing director of Himal Gas, on the charge of indulging in black marketing of cooking gas, The Rising Nepalreports.
During its inspection in the company, the monitoring team found Himal Gas Company was involved in black marketing of gas.
The Himal Gas Company is located at Sanga in Kavreplanchok district.
According to Saroj Dhungel, press advisor to Minister Bhatta, the Himal Gas was supplying its products to sellers other than its dealers.
As the supply of gas did not ease in the market as expected despite an increase in its import, Minister Bhatta intensified market monitoring suspecting black marketing and hoarding of gas.
Two days ago, the Minister Bhatta-led monitoring team had inspected eight gas companies in Dhading district.
The monitoring team also decided to distribute the Himal Gas to its costumers by giving authority to other companies, Dhungel informed.
At the same time, the monitoring team also raided two other gas companies, Surya and Sagar, located in Banepa of the same district.
During the monitoring, Surya Gas was found keeping around 36 tons of gas in stock.
"The monitoring team will continue its monitoring tasks in the days to come and the guilty will be brought under the legal net," said Dhungel quoting Minister Bhatta as saying.
Meanwhile, in order to ensure smooth supply of the cooking gas, the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies on Tuesday has signed an eight-point agreement with the traders.
As per the agreement, NOC would introduce ‘consumer cards’ and distribute them at the earliest to make the distribution system easier and transparent.
The other points of the agreement included collecting data of LPG cylinders that are consumed by hotels and restaurants. The agreement also included safety issues.
According to the agreement, bottling plants will have to improve the cylinder refilling, weighing and handling processes, while the NOC will have to monitor the bottling plants.
The NOC should acquire details of the gas delivered by bottling plants to dealers and submit those details to the District Administration Offices concerned, the Department of Commerce and the Supply
Ministry.
Nnnn