Downfall Of Pakistani Manpower Exporting Industry

(Danish Hussain, Karachi)

Out of $19 billion annual home remittances, $16 billion come from GCC bloc and it can easily be doubled only in 12 months if our leaders take a genuine interest which can help our country to overcome its economic crises as for the first time in the history of Pakistan, its trade deficit has ballooned to $30 billion

This is the time to act and seek working visas for our people in the Arab world where Indians, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankans are currently making their monopoly due to our carelessness and despite so-called lifting of ban on Pakistani manpower to Kuwait, there was no follow up to address the issue.

OVERSEAS MANPOWER EXPORT AND EXISTING MARKETS
Pakistan’s Economic Survey 2016-17
Manpower export has decreased from 0.94 million in 2015 to 0.84 million in 2016.

SAUDI ARAB
In 2015 Pak workers export to Saudi Arabia= 522,750
In 2016 Pak workers export to Saudi Arabia= 462,598
In 2017 Pak workers export to Saudi Arabia until Sept. only = 112367
As per this average in 2017 we can only export 160,000 workers to Saudi arab see the difference is 3 lac workers less from 2016.

U.A.E.
In 2015 Pak workers export to UAE 326,986
In 2016 Pak workers export to UAE decreased to 295,647.
Uptil 2017 Sep Pak workers export to UAE decreased to 209,930

MALAYSIA:
IN 2015 Pak workers export to Malaysia = 20,216
IN 2016 Pak workers export to Malaysia = 10,625
In 2017 uptil Sept =5704

Like SA and UAE, the human resource exports from Pakistan to Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and even Malaysia saw a decline
Ref; Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment Pakistan

EXPLORATION OF NEW MARKETS AND REMOVAL OF HURDLES WITH NEW AND EXISTING MARKETS
Gove. should Streamline the working relationship and MOUs with Qatar –Kuwait and Malaysia so that promoters can smoothly export Pakistani work force to these countries.

In new market hot countries are Azerbaijan –Singapore- Jordan-Japan
Sep 18, 2017 Jordan times News desk AMMAN — The Ministry of Agriculture on Sunday announced plans for allowing the recruitment of new foreign workers in the agricultural sector. Ministry of Agriculture Spokesperson Nimer Haddadin said that the ministry, in cooperation with related ministries, is planning to allow the recruitment of new foreign workers in the agricultural sector.
The government announced in June last year that it had stopped the recruitment of new guest workers in an effort to regulate the labour market and study the number of guest workers in Jordan.

Oct 15, 2017 Japan times --The Bank of Japan’s tankan quarterly economic survey, one of the key indicators of the nation’s current economy, released this month showed the country is facing the tightest labor market since 1992. In the survey of 10,687 companies, the index for firms complaining of the labor shortage The labor crisis is taking its toll on companies. In the first half of 2017, 49 firms shut down their businesses due to manpower shortages — In October 2016, the number of foreign workers in Japan topped 1 million for the first time.

DECREASING IN FOREIGN EXCHANGE REMITTANCE DUE TO DECREASE IN MANPOWER EXPORT
As per State bank report July 2017, From July 1 2016 to June 2017 Pakistani workers remitted 19.303 billion dollar compared with $ 19.917 billion received in 2015-2016 3 % decline.

From Saudi Arabia remittance decline fall of 8.5 percent
In 2016 it was 5,968 billion and now in 2017 it is 5470 billion

According to the statistics released by the bureau, Pakistan’s labour exports in the first seven months of CY17 averaged about 43,300 per month, as against a monthly average of 70,000 and 79,000 in CY16 and CY15 respectively..


COMPARISON OF PAKISTAN & BANGLADESH GOVT. EFFORTS IN ORDER TO INCREASE MANPOWER EXPORT
BMET officials said Bangladesh’s manpower export has expanded to 162 countries from previous 75 countries in last eight years. The number of labour migration jumped by 41 percent during the January-July period this year compared to the same period last year, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Manpower data.

BANGLADESH
Due to Bangladeshi ministry continuous efforts and negotiation.
It is announced In May 2016
Malaysia has lifted ban on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers
August 2016
Saudi Arabia has lifted a seven-year-old ban on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers
Jan 2017
Bangladesh conducted Job fair in Saudi Arab Riyadh and Jeddah ,
Participated by recruiting agents their Ministry of Labor Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Investment.
Sept 2017
Bangladesh is set to start manpower export to Slovenia under government-to-government initiative. Ambassador to Australia has negotiated a deal with the Slovenian government for manpower export. This is the first time we will be sending workers to Slovenia,

PAKISTAN: In view of above , No any efforts have been seen from our government to boost manpower export.

MANPOWER EXPORT COMPARISON OF BANGLADESH & PAKISTAN FOR THE YEAR 2016 AND 2017 (Until Sept.)

DUE TO NOT SIGNING/STREAMLINING MOUS WITH KUWAIT & QATAR
2017 2017
BANGLADESH PAKISTAN
Manpower sent to Qatar 64,396 7428
Manpower sent to Kuwait 37,861 652

Given the importance of worker remittances, labour exports needs a closer attention by policymakers and other stakeholders alike. A comparison with other labour exporting economies reveals that the market is being gradually chipped away by Bangladesh and India. Now situation becomes more worst due to not tackling this issue intelligently and proactively. Pakistan economy and the principal stake holder of this business "Overseas Employment promoters" facing great hardships due to Manpower Ministry's non seriousness on this issue.

Danish Hussain
About the Author: Danish Hussain Read More Articles by Danish Hussain: 7 Articles with 8915 views Member - FPCCI Standing committee for Manpower Export
Member – Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association (POEPA)
British Council Trained Sr
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