Smoothening the way for greater overseas employment
Mizanur Rahman
Hard thinkers of the Bangladeshs economic situation have calculated that this country can fairly soon much further reduce its dependence on foreign aid and carry out its developmental activities by its own efforts by relying on its own strengths. Policies to this end are needed and these can be of the type of helping people to help themselves. The main aim should be exporting in increased number our best ready resource which is the abundant supply of manpower.
The greater amounts of remitted foreign currencies can boost up the countrys foreign exchange reserve which in turn will strengthen its import operations in support of economy expanding activities or for undertaking developmental projects. The remittances will help the families of expatriate workers to fast climb out of poor standards of living to a better one.
It was estimated that remittances can double or treble within a short period of time to fulfill the above vision if only a proper policy is put into operation. Numerous potential workers are there who cannot go abroad due to some constraints. In many cases, they are unskilled and there is little demand for unskilled workers. Besides, it is not desirable also to send out unskilled workers as their wages are always found substantially lower than skilled workers. Thus, the government can play a very useful role by providing training opportunities in diverse areas. It can set up many skill training centres throughout the country at its own cost to facilitate the enrolment of a large number of people in them. The establishment of such institutions ought to be looked upon essentially as a form of investment from which to get a great deal of more returns in the longer run than the expenditures involved in building and running them. Admission seekers should be admitted free of charge at these skill training centres on the condition that they would pay back for their training costs once they get employment. Neither the trainer nor the trainee stands to lose anything from such an arrangement.
But the value of it would be the fastest creation of an ever growing body of trained people for the countrys own use and overseas markets. It will enable the sending out of not only a greater number of people than now, the greater number plus their status in the skilled category will mean higher total amount of remittance flow.
Finance is another formidable barrier faced by people in going abroad. So many cases are noted in which desperate people sell off their last valuable possessions to raise the fees of private manpower exporters. The need for such risky steps discourage many from even considering going abroad. Here also, the government can play a very useful role by asking the countrys nationalised commercial banks to extend collateral free loans to persons wanting to go abroad on terms and conditions that the loans would be progressively repaid with nominal interest after they reach their destinations of employment abroad. Neither the banks nor the loan recipients lose anything but stand to only gain from such an arrangement. However, the main favourable outcome of such a move will be the sending out of a far greater number with foreign employment than hitherto leading to a much higher level of remittance flow for the country.
The foreign missions will have to be activated sufficiently also in support of a dynamic manpower policy. Missions located in prospective regions should have separate wings for promoting manpower export. Such specialised sections in the embassies should singularly be guided by the policy of maximising the export of our manpower under the best possible terms and conditions. To this end they would be expected to assess prospects for our manpower, reach government-to-government contracts or between our manpower exporters and foreign employers. They should be also obliged to represent our workers sincerely and unfailingly in all cases where foreign employers may breach terms of contract involving underpayment and other abuses.
Higher remittance flow can also be achieved by setting up many more remittance houses abroad and very cooperative and easy working conditions in them. Persons who would work in these remittance houses would be motivated by various incentive measures. The interest may be increased on bonds and special saving schemes in which expatriate workers invest. This could inspire the expatriate Bangladeshis to invest more in them.
The writer is a freelancer
