The Government of Nepal has formed the Foreign Employment Board (FEB) for the purpose of making foreign employment safe, orderly & dignified, and protecting the rights and benefits of the workers and foreign employment institutions. The FEB has been formed as per the provision in Article 38 of the Foreign Employment Act 2064. The Foreign Employment Board has a secretariat to conduct the regular activities of the Board.

Chaired by the Hon'ble Minister of Labor and Employment for the FEB, it has representation from high-ranking government officials, foreign employment entrepreneurs, trade unions, foreign employment experts, and representation from the organizations working in the field. The Board currently has 25 members, including the chairman.

The Board performs the functions as per the decisions and directions of the Foreign Employment Act 2064, Foreign Employment Rules 2064. So far, the Board has been mainly providing financial assistance to the families of the deceased, medical expenses to the sick and injured, assistance in bringing the stranded bodies abroad, rescuing workers due to internal insurgency in the destination country, rescuing the stranded workers due to economic recession, conducting public awareness programs and running shelter/safe houses abroad. The Board has a welfare fund to carry out the above-mentioned activities. The fund will have the amount deposited mainly by the workers going for foreign employment as prescribed by the prevailing law.

Occupying around 23 percent of the country's gross domestic product, the sector is establishing itself as the backbone of the economy. Therefore, the Board has the view that there should be coordination, cooperation, and collaboration among the workers, foreign employment recruitment agencies, civil societies, and all other concerned bodies to make this sector safe, orderly, and dignified.

A 25-member, Foreign Employment Board has been formed with the Minister of Labor and Employment/State minister as the chairperson of the Board. The formation of the Board is as follows :-

 

• Minister of Labor and Employment / Minister of State (Chairman)
• Minister of State for Labor and Employment/Assistant Minister (Vice-Chairman)
• Member, National Planning Commission – Associated with related Areas (Members)
• Secretary, Ministry of Labor and Employment (Member)
• Secretary or nominated First class Gazetted representative, Ministry of Home Affairs (Member)
• Secretary or nominated First class Gazetted representative, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Member)
• Secretary or nominated First class Gazetted representative, Ministry of Finance (Member)
• Secretary or nominated First class Gazetted representative, Ministry of Law and Justice (Member)
• Secretary or nominated First class Gazetted representative, Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (Member)
• Director-General, Department of Foreign Employment (Member)
• Representative (First Class), Nepal Rastra Bank (Member)
• Two (members) including a woman nominated by the Government of Nepal from among the foreign employment experts. (Member)
• Two members, the president of the Foreign Employment Businessmen's Association and a woman representative nominated by the same Association. (Member)
• Two (members) including one woman nominated by the Government of Nepal from among the skill-oriented and orientation training operators related to foreign employment (Member)
• One member from approved health institutions, nominated by the Government of Nepal of at least MBBS qualified doctor (Member)
• President of any four recognized trade union federations nominated by the Government of Nepal
• Or four people, one representative nominated by each federation (Members)
• Representative, Federation of Nepalese Industries and Commerce (Member)
• Representative, Council of Technical Education and Vocational Training (Member)
• Executive Director (Member-Secretary)

Functions, Duties, and Rights of the Board

 

a) Conduct/make study for the search of a new international labor market.

b) Collecting, processing, and publishing information for the promotion of foreign employment,

c) To mobilize foreign employment welfare fund,

d) To make necessary work related to the protection of the Rights of the workers who have gone for foreign employment,

e) To formulate, implement, monitor, and evaluate the programs to be implemented in the national interest using the skills, capital, and technology learned by the returnee workers from abroad.

f) To do necessary work related to labor agreements with different countries,

g. To specify the qualification for registration of foreign employment orientation training institute as well as designing training curriculum and provide approval,

h) In formulating a short-term and long-term policy to be adopted for foreign employment safe, orderly, and dignified, to protect the rights and interests of workers & foreign employment entrepreneurs, and to submit it to the Government of Nepal,

I) To make suggestions to the Government of Nepal based on a comprehensive study on the implementation of the Foreign Employment Act. Also, to review the law if needed and to suggest to the Government of Nepal for necessary reforms,

j) To advise the Government of Nepal on determining service charges and promotion expenses,

k) To suggest the Government of Nepal make necessary arrangements for the easy and accessible remit of income into Nepal earned by Nepali workers abroad,

l) To write to the concerned body/department for necessary action if it is found that any action has been taken by someone against the foreign employment law,

m) Monitoring or conduct monitoring of licensed foreign employment institutions, orientation centers, and skill training centers,

n) As per Clause-O (खण्ड -ण ), If any action has been carried out contrary to the Act or the Rules while monitoring or conducting, Board to send a letter to the concerned body/department for necessary action.

o) To submit the annual report of the works of FEB to the Government of Nepal,

p) To conduct research on foreign employment risks and opportunities,

q) Regularly broadcast, disseminate foreign employment awareness programs through radio, television, and newspapers.

r) Develop social security strategies and action plans of the workers,

s) To establish and operate a safe house for women workers who have gone for foreign employment.

Approved details of ward secretariat