A regional gathering of the Non Resident Nepali Associations (NRNA) in GCC opened on Saturday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to discuss migrant workers’ issues.

The Minister for Water Supply, Bina Magar, today inaugurated the event at the Dubai-based Grand Excelsior Hotel.

Minister Magar, former Labour Minister Ramesh Lekhak, labour representatives and office bearers of the NRNA national coordination councils in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman and Qatar are taking part in the gathering.

The objective of NRNA forums based in the six GCC countries at the conclave in Dubai is to draw the government’s attention towards Nepali migrant workers’ myraid issues.

NRNA Spokesperson Bhushan Ghimire said the gathering will discuss problems Nepali workers have to deal with in GCC countries during their employment tenure or business operations.

The theme of the event is ‘Safe and decent foreign employment; our concerns: knowledge, skills, remittance and entrepreneurship, the base for prosperity’ will conclude on Sunday.

The gathering will present suggestions to minimise incidence of physical losses and casualties because of accidents at workplaces while on duty. The attendees will also discuss problems caused by lack of awareness on health and physical safety, inability to speak Arabic language, legal provisions and other required information.

Besides, the meeting will dwell on the issues of simplifying the process of providing compensation and financial assistance to the families of those killed and left with physical disabilities due to accidents at workplaces. The meeting’s agenda includes discussions on investment of remittance in productive sectors, utilisation of knowledge and skills achieved abroad at homeland and increase on awareness level of foreign employment aspirants.

The gathering is expected to table solutions on job skills training, orientation on local language, culture and law for foreign job seekers, encouraging returnees from foreign jobs to pursue entrepreneurship in Nepal. The gathering will draw the government’s attention towards granting work permits through Nepali Missions in foreign countries; plan to establish a labour skills bank, and starting official talks with destination countries for provident fund of migrant workers.

Migrant workers from the GCC contribute 60 per cent of the total foreign exchange remittances into Nepal, Safe, decent and respected foreign employment is the goal of all NRNAs in the GCC since inception.