HE the Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs Dr Issa Saad al-Jafali al-Nuaimi has held talks with Nepal’s former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha on bilateral issues.
During the meeting, Shrestha, who was in Qatar to participate in the fourth congress of the Nepalese People’s Progressive Front, thanked the Qatari government for hosting a large number of Nepalese workers and also raised the recent labour issues related to migrant workers.
While Dr al-Nuaimi spoke highly of the Nepalese workforce in the country, Shrestha requested the Qatar government to monitor companies to ensure that Nepalese workers come here without having to pay any charges.
“We thank Qatar for making a provision of free visa and free ticket for our workers. We request the government to check if companies are strictly following the provision,” he said, stressing that he was positive about the recent steps taken by the Qatari government for the benefit of Nepalese workers.
The minister also informed Shrestha about the recent revisions in Qatari laws. “To secure payment, we have implemented a worker payment system through banks,” he said. “This has solved many problems.”
Charge d’affaires at the Nepalese embassy Mani Ratna Sharma and United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist foreign secretary Youbraj Chaulagain were also present at the meeting.
Meanwhile, Shrestha also held a meeting with HE the Foreign Minister’s Assistant for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi. At the meeting, al-Muraikhi said the government would send a proposal for the Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement to Nepal in the near future.
Shrestha requested that Qatar invest in Nepal in the sectors such as hydropower, tourism and agriculture. “The agreement will open doors for such investments,” he added.
Al-Muraikhi stressed that the problems faced by Nepalese workers would be addressed by the labour ministry and resolved accordingly.
Shrestha said Nepalese expatriates would follow this country’s rules and regulations, and the two sides also discussed the easing of procedures to bring Nepalese workers to Qatar.
Shrestha also wished success for Qatar in hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup mega sports event.