New passports only from Kathmandu office

Kathmandu: After failing to meet a UN deadline on Machine Readable Passport (MRP), Nepal has stopped issuing new passports from its 75 districts and will now distribute them only from its Kathmandu office.

The decision has affected the expat remittance-based economy which mostly relies on Gulf countries and Malaysia. The UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation has stipulated that only machine readable travel documents be issued from April 1, 2010.

"We have stopped issuing passports from the 75 districts. Handwritten passport would not be valid for travel any longer, after the expiry of [the] April 1 deadline," Durga Bhattrai, spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Gulf News.

The contribution of remittance in Nepal's economy surpassed 21 per cent in last fiscal year and continues to grow.

Rural youths mostly from the districts and villages were major beneficiaries of passport offices in the districts. The decision to stop issuing fresh passports from districts has meant people have to spend time and money to travel to Kathmandu to secure a passport. The exercise is costlier and could ruin the dreams of many a youth seeking overseas jobs.

According to the government's statistics, more than 600 youths apply for fresh passports from across the country every day. Most of them either seek blue colour jobs in Gulf countries or want to peruse higher studies.

While this will directly affect employment and remittances, it may also dampen Nepal's creditability as a labour-exporting country, say manpower industry insiders. "Failure to send workers on time could dent our image," said Tilak Ranabhat, president of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies.

Flow of remittances to Nepal has recently taken a hit. Until Wednesday, some 5,000 people were collecting passports every day.

Some 721 people are currently leaving the country for overseas jobs daily.