Government decides against NZ job offer
The Bhutanese government decided against sending any Bhutanese to work in New Zealand farms. There was a demand for 2000 Bhutanese in New Zealand.
The government said, the decision was taken because the jobs offered were for low skilled labourers. I am bit surprised if Bhutanese farmers were that much skilled to work with NZ farming technologies. Rejecting NZ offer means opportunities for skills development of the Bhutanese farmers to use latest farming technologies will trash out.
The government says sending Bhutanese as low skilled labourers to work in NZ farm was in conflict with its aspiration to build skilled and knowledge workforce. It is widely known fact that Bhutanese has invited over 60,000 foreign workers due to lack of skilled manpower in the country today.
The Bhutanese would have opportunities to earn over Nu 400,000 in a period of just six months. Today, average earning of the Bhutanese farmers remains below Nu 2,500 a month. NZ offer would have benefitted Bhutanese farmers financially and technologically besides overseas experiences. The jobs offered were in agro, food canning, and fruit plucking sectors which are also primary employment sector in Bhutanese context.
Has this decision suit the aspiration of general Bhutanese? The increasing trend to seek overseas jobs, even illegally, vividly demonstrates Bhutanese are desperate to travel west in search of job – be it for skilled or unskilled. It is not widely known picture that western countries do not recognise the skilled earned by Asians not because of discriminations but because those skills are not relevant in work places in the western countries.
According to government statistics, there are about 60 Bhutanese in the Middle East and more than 1,000 in the USA (except those resettled Bhutanese). But illegal immigration through Indian employment agent, due to absence of employment agents in Bhutan, is beyond government watch.
Government has received offer from Thailand, India and other countries for supply of labour but similar response from Bhutanese government might result in loss of job opportunities for Bhutanese people. This contradicts with government’s plan to reduce the rising unemployment figure.