Jun 06, Kathmandu - Nearly four months after the government announced the start of work permits from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), workers have not been able to receive services.

Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security Sharad Singh Bhandari announced the launch of the service at a program organized in Dubai on February 13. While providing a work permit to a service recipient at the program venue, the Nepali Embassy in Abu Dhabi said that the work permit would be issued within a few days, but the workers working in the UAE have not been able to receive the service yet.

Ram Tamang, a businessman who runs a typing center in Dubai, said that many workers who are working on visit visas, students or other visas are coming for new work permits. According to government data, more than 500,000 Nepalis are working in the UAE. It is estimated that more than 100,000 Nepali workers who are working in the UAE on other visas will apply for new work permits.

Thousands of workers enter the UAE every day by setting up at the airport. While some of them are Nepalese, they use the UAE airport as a route to other countries, many are working in Dubai.

Minister Bhandari, in his inaugural speech, said that the system of providing labor permits through embassies by providing labor permits for one worker will benefit Nepali workers, free them from the hassle of having to travel to Nepal, and make it easier to continue their profession and business. He also announced that this system will gradually be implemented by other embassies as well. However, as announced, none of the embassies in the Gulf countries have been able to start the service.

Workers receive various benefits from the government after obtaining a work permit. They receive customs exemption on TVs, electronic goods and other household goods, and if a worker is injured or dies, he or his family receives a certain amount of compensation.

According to the Abu Dhabi embassy, ​​it will take at least another 2 weeks to resume the service. According to embassy sources, it is difficult to resume the service immediately because the minister made the announcement without the necessary preparations. Minister Bhandari had made the announcement while visiting the UAE to participate in the 'World Government Summit 2025' held in the UAE from Magh 29 to Falgun 1 and asked the embassy to organize the program.