Daily Times

Karachi: In a bid to boost export of human resources, the government of Pakistan is formulating a National Emigration and Welfare Policy for migrant workers to provide them every possible facility during the entire emigration cycle.

Lately, export of human resources form Pakistan to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has been decreasing mainly due to a Gulfisation policy adopted by these countries to transform their economy from oil based to one based on the services sector.

Secondly, more than 70 percent of their workforce is employed in the government sector. Due to economic crisis (reduction in oil prices), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has slashed its transport and infrastructure budget which affects low skilled workers.

Also, Saudi companies and enterprises are required to hire Saudi nationals up to certain levels. Categorisation of companies with regards to expatriate workers i.e. Platinum, Gold, Green etc., is another reason for declining labor migration from Pakistan to GCC countries. Other companies under Nitaqat Status can only transfer sponsorships but are not able to get new visas to hire foreign workers.

Meanwhile, the work visa validity has been reduced to one year for expats. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has imposed five percent of the Value Added Tax (VAT) across the kingdom due to which the daily life of workers is becoming difficult.

Thus, the Bureau of Emigration in Pakistan has initiated a project titled, “Registration of Intending Emigrants via Biometric Verification System linked with NADRA” to ensure the highest level of efficiency and improvement in service delivery.

A new agreement with State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan (SLICP) has been signed in order to enhance the insurance coverage duration from 2 years to 5 years.

Also, a Complaint Resolution Mechanism System has been established in the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment to settle issues of the complaints being received from different channels i.e. from Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat, Community Welfare Attaché, directly in the Bureau etc.

The proposal of opening Protectorate Emigrant offices in Sialkot and Islamabad is also under consideration to provide the earnest facility of protector to migrant workers, says the government.

Various other steps are under consideration to capture the human resources market of UAE with special reference to Dubai Expo 2020, including holding of seminars in Dubai.

The Government of UAE, under a pilot project on skills up gradation, has given accreditation to the following vocational training institutes in Pakistan – Institute of Technical and Professional Education, Rawalpindi; College of Technology, Mandi Bahauddin; Construction Technology Training Institute, Rawalpindi; Applied Technologies Institute, NLC, Mandra; with the collaboration of Group of Arfat Tirocinium (UAE) while Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development is in coordination with NAVTTC and regional TEVTAs in developing curriculum.

Due to lower wages, lack of job opportunities and persistent economic slowdown, more than 10.1 million Pakistanis have legally proceeded abroad for employment since 1971, among which around 96.1 percent went to GCC countries, especially KSA and UAE.

During 2017, the UAE was the largest country for Pakistani workers across the world and 0.275 million workers proceeded for employment to UAE followed by Saudi Arabia (0.143 million). Oman was the third largest country where 42,362 Pakistani workers went for better job opportunities.

The comparison among provinces shows that manpower export from Punjab was higher as compared to other provinces. During 2017, 261,849 workers went abroad from Punjab, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (107,366).

Published in Daily Times, May 4^th 2018.