The Home Minister said the government has not revised the ceiling on the foreign workers. In 2004, the government decided to cap the ceiling at 45,000. However, there are more than 53,000 foreign workers in the country today.
Lyonpo shared with the National Council members that this was mainly to meet the labour demand by hydropower projects. An additional 8,000 labourers were brought in to work for Punatsangchhu I and II, Mangdechhu and Kholongchhu hydropower projects.
The minister, however, said this is short term and that the number would decrease once the projects are completed.
“If you look at our 11th five year plan, about 60 per cent of the budget has been allocated towards infrastructure development, which is why there was a huge demand for these workers. As per the hydropower project agreement, the government is obliged to supply enough workers and that’s why there was no way we could restrict the number,” added Lyonpo Dawa Gyeltshen.
Although, there have been numerous discussions in the cabinet on raising the ceiling on foreign workers, the minister said they decided not to considering adverse implications.
He also said that if the government revises the ceiling, it would set precedence to successive governments to do so, which is not in the interest of the country.
The current number of 53,000 foreign workers, however, does not include foreign diplomats, employees of project DANTAK and IMTRAT.
As per the record, there are over 3,800 project DANTAK and IMTRAT employees, and 322 UN and foreign diplomats in the country.
