Regulatory commission to expedite manpower export
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Shahiduzzaman Khan
Formation of a regulatory standing commission is now deemed essential to expedite manpower export and ensure the rights of the migrant workers. If this is done, the manpower sector -- which is the highest foreign exchange earner -- could boost the country's economy to a large extent, say experts.
It is unfortunate that the ministry for expatriates welfare and the diplomats posted in important countries have failed to ensure the rights of the migrant workers and facilitate manpower export. They have also failed to take pragmatic steps to augment it, whereas Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India have become successful in sending a large number of both skilled and unskilled workers abroad after providing them with proper training. The number of expatriate workers of any of those countries is higher than ours.
As such, government needs to chalk up a plan with a vision to send some 30 million people abroad by 2020 to make Bangladesh a middle-income country. People should raise their voices for increasing the growth of manpower export for the sake of the country. The scope for exporting manpower to many countries is being created now. Until last month, the sector has been facing tremendous pressure of job cuts from almost every major employment market as an impact of global financial recession. In place of 875,055 employments by the end of 2008, Bangladesh was struggling to reach the 500,000 mark the target set for the year 2009 by the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry. However, recent developments in the sector are giving some positive signals.
According to the latest reports, overseas employment has shown signs of recovery in October, fuelled by job-surge in Middle East and North African countries as the impact of global recession starts easing. A total of 43,334 Bangladeshis got overseas employment last month, which was the third highest monthly workers migration recorded this year. The monthly figure this year was 47.35 per cent below the figure recorded in 2008. It was 74,029 in October last year.
Bangladeshi manpower employment in October witnessed significant growth in Middle Eastern countries, especially in Dubai, Libya, Oman, Bahrain and Lebanon as the region is showing signs of financial recovery. The manpower export scenario to Singapore is also encouraging. Job data shows the oil-rich Dubai alone employed 25,185 Bangladeshis last month. It was the second largest monthly employment this year. Similar surge was also seen in Libya-- the newly exposed job destination for Bangladeshi workers.
As has been stated earlier, the country's overseas missions are not performing up to the mark. Reports of massive irregularities and mismanagements in these missions are coming to limelight very often. Very recently, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni expressed her frustration at the state of affairs in Bangladesh embassies where lack of cooperation between the ambassador and different wings has jeopardised the labour market for expatriates. The foreign minister was hundred percent correct on what she had said. The problem may be deeper than what she anticipated. These missions need to be overhauled, indeed.
Bangladesh missions abroad need to be much more proactive in searching for manpower markets in the old and new destinations. The economic ministers and the labour attaches posted at different missions must be dedicated sorts of people. Truly capable persons should be assigned these positions. The missions should devote greater time and energy to look after the interests of overseas Bangladeshi workers so that the latter can get their contracted or pledged remunerations and other monetary benefits from the foreign employers. All of these steps, pursued well, can notably increase the volume of remittances.
There are widespread allegations that a section of Bangladesh embassy officials in some countries are indulging in corruption and irregularities. Reports say a section of Bangladesh high commission officials in Malaysia are engaged with the dishonest manpower brokers in that country and earning hefty amounts of money through manpower export. The matter was brought to the notice of the labour, employment and expatriates welfare minister. He was reported to have taken an initiative to dig deep into the anomalies. He told the media that he was going to fix it soon and bring the culprits to book. Both the Bangladeshi migrant workers and the Bangladesh high commission officials firmly believe that the crises involving manpower recruitment will come to an end once Bangladesh becomes a source country for workers. Source countries are those from where Malaysia can hire workers any time the Southeast Asian country wishes. Malaysia currently hires workers from Bangladesh under special arrangement under which the outsourcing companies can hire workers and employ them in various jobs. It is these outsourcing agents, which eat up a good portion of the wages that the workers get. This system is not applicable for the workers of the countries listed as source countries by Malaysia.
Malaysia has 13 source countries in central and south Asia from where the Malaysian employers hire workers whenever they need. As Bangladesh is not on the list of the source nations, it creates an opportunity for the recruiting agents, manpower brokers and lobbyists at both the ends to make profit by manipulating the recruiting process and deceiving poor workers. There is a strong syndicate of Bangladeshi and Malaysian manpower brokers who do not want Bangladesh to be recognised as a source country.
The government needs to be serious about expansion of the manpower export market. This is the single most source that earns the highest amount of foreign exchange. Further increase in remittance flows can be achieved by an assortment of policies in different sectors and not alone by setting up remittance houses abroad. While it has been a useful step, other policies must be pursued for augmenting remittance flows.
The export of skilled manpower including workers and professionals can lead to higher earnings and hence higher remittance flows because their wages would be substantially greater than those of the unskilled workers. But people in large numbers will require training for the purpose and this need can be met if the government operates a sufficient number of skill-development centres across the country. The training can be imparted free of cost initially with provision to pay back gradually once they get jobs abroad and start earning.
The manpower export sector deserves to be protected from all harm so that it can flourish further. Utmost urgency must be shown to mitigate the problems in the sector.
szkhan@thefinancialexpress-bd.com
Formation of a regulatory standing commission is now deemed essential to expedite manpower export and ensure the rights of the migrant workers. If this is done, the manpower sector -- which is the highest foreign exchange earner -- could boost the country's economy to a large extent, say experts.
It is unfortunate that the ministry for expatriates welfare and the diplomats posted in important countries have failed to ensure the rights of the migrant workers and facilitate manpower export. They have also failed to take pragmatic steps to augment it, whereas Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India have become successful in sending a large number of both skilled and unskilled workers abroad after providing them with proper training. The number of expatriate workers of any of those countries is higher than ours.
As such, government needs to chalk up a plan with a vision to send some 30 million people abroad by 2020 to make Bangladesh a middle-income country. People should raise their voices for increasing the growth of manpower export for the sake of the country. The scope for exporting manpower to many countries is being created now. Until last month, the sector has been facing tremendous pressure of job cuts from almost every major employment market as an impact of global financial recession. In place of 875,055 employments by the end of 2008, Bangladesh was struggling to reach the 500,000 mark the target set for the year 2009 by the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry. However, recent developments in the sector are giving some positive signals.
According to the latest reports, overseas employment has shown signs of recovery in October, fuelled by job-surge in Middle East and North African countries as the impact of global recession starts easing. A total of 43,334 Bangladeshis got overseas employment last month, which was the third highest monthly workers migration recorded this year. The monthly figure this year was 47.35 per cent below the figure recorded in 2008. It was 74,029 in October last year.
Bangladeshi manpower employment in October witnessed significant growth in Middle Eastern countries, especially in Dubai, Libya, Oman, Bahrain and Lebanon as the region is showing signs of financial recovery. The manpower export scenario to Singapore is also encouraging. Job data shows the oil-rich Dubai alone employed 25,185 Bangladeshis last month. It was the second largest monthly employment this year. Similar surge was also seen in Libya-- the newly exposed job destination for Bangladeshi workers.
As has been stated earlier, the country's overseas missions are not performing up to the mark. Reports of massive irregularities and mismanagements in these missions are coming to limelight very often. Very recently, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni expressed her frustration at the state of affairs in Bangladesh embassies where lack of cooperation between the ambassador and different wings has jeopardised the labour market for expatriates. The foreign minister was hundred percent correct on what she had said. The problem may be deeper than what she anticipated. These missions need to be overhauled, indeed.
Bangladesh missions abroad need to be much more proactive in searching for manpower markets in the old and new destinations. The economic ministers and the labour attaches posted at different missions must be dedicated sorts of people. Truly capable persons should be assigned these positions. The missions should devote greater time and energy to look after the interests of overseas Bangladeshi workers so that the latter can get their contracted or pledged remunerations and other monetary benefits from the foreign employers. All of these steps, pursued well, can notably increase the volume of remittances.
There are widespread allegations that a section of Bangladesh embassy officials in some countries are indulging in corruption and irregularities. Reports say a section of Bangladesh high commission officials in Malaysia are engaged with the dishonest manpower brokers in that country and earning hefty amounts of money through manpower export. The matter was brought to the notice of the labour, employment and expatriates welfare minister. He was reported to have taken an initiative to dig deep into the anomalies. He told the media that he was going to fix it soon and bring the culprits to book. Both the Bangladeshi migrant workers and the Bangladesh high commission officials firmly believe that the crises involving manpower recruitment will come to an end once Bangladesh becomes a source country for workers. Source countries are those from where Malaysia can hire workers any time the Southeast Asian country wishes. Malaysia currently hires workers from Bangladesh under special arrangement under which the outsourcing companies can hire workers and employ them in various jobs. It is these outsourcing agents, which eat up a good portion of the wages that the workers get. This system is not applicable for the workers of the countries listed as source countries by Malaysia.
Malaysia has 13 source countries in central and south Asia from where the Malaysian employers hire workers whenever they need. As Bangladesh is not on the list of the source nations, it creates an opportunity for the recruiting agents, manpower brokers and lobbyists at both the ends to make profit by manipulating the recruiting process and deceiving poor workers. There is a strong syndicate of Bangladeshi and Malaysian manpower brokers who do not want Bangladesh to be recognised as a source country.
The government needs to be serious about expansion of the manpower export market. This is the single most source that earns the highest amount of foreign exchange. Further increase in remittance flows can be achieved by an assortment of policies in different sectors and not alone by setting up remittance houses abroad. While it has been a useful step, other policies must be pursued for augmenting remittance flows.
The export of skilled manpower including workers and professionals can lead to higher earnings and hence higher remittance flows because their wages would be substantially greater than those of the unskilled workers. But people in large numbers will require training for the purpose and this need can be met if the government operates a sufficient number of skill-development centres across the country. The training can be imparted free of cost initially with provision to pay back gradually once they get jobs abroad and start earning.
The manpower export sector deserves to be protected from all harm so that it can flourish further. Utmost urgency must be shown to mitigate the problems in the sector.
szkhan@thefinancialexpress-bd.com