Beginning next month, the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources (MoLHR) will not issue or renew the work permits of expatriate workers in five job categories.
The categories are carpenters in furniture units along with architects, civil and electrical engineers, construction supervisors and ECCD manager or staff.
This is to facilitate employment opportunities and skills development of Bhutanese workforce and to reduce dependency on foreign workers.
For instance, there was not much improvement in the engagement of Bhutanese in furniture house units.
A study by MoLHR revealed that even after two decades, the purpose of facilitating foreign workers in furniture houses to train Bhutanese failed to serve its intended purpose.
Following the study, the ministry came up with closed occupations in the five job categories.
As per the regulation on Recruitment and Management of Foreign Workers 2012, foreign workers are not allowed in a closed occupation which the ministry reviews from time to time.
So far 28 job categories are listed in the closed occupation list.
“We found out there are enough skilled people in these job categories in the country. If we continue giving the permit to the foreign workers then I don’t know how long we will have to depend on them. It is a government policy to give the opportunity to our youth and to our labour force.”
As of September this year, there are nearly 53,000 foreign workers in the country.
