Any licensed employment agency in Myanmar liable for breaking the rules set by the Union Government, if found to have violated such rules, will be charged in accordance with the existing law.

The service fee charged by employment agencies for providing services in obtaining a local job is limited to be not higher than the salary of the job seeker.

So far, there have been few complaints received against local employment agencies for charging fees higher than the designated amount.

As for employment agencies securing overseas jobs, those who do not follow the directives and rules set by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population shall face possible revocation of their licenses to conduct business, and they will be sued, depending upon their offences.

So far, 22 companies have been suspended from operating and 12 have had their licenses revoked. Also, some 40 companies shut down their businesses on their own volition. There are six cases in which managing directors and directors of employment agencies are facing charges under the 1999 overseas employment law.

This reflects how the Union Government has not neglected the life of migrant workers, and continues protecting these workers. The overseas employment business is not a trade, but involves human beings. Overseas employment agencies are obliged to refrain from committing labour violations.

A total of 23,235 Myanmar workers officially took up jobs overseas in nine countries in the month of January, according to figures released by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population in February, 2019.

Myanmar workers are being sent to Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Middle Eastern countries and other countries through 277 overseas employment agencies, including one government run agency.

The majority of these workers went to Thailand, which registered over 17,400 Myanmar workers, while Malaysia employed over 5,000 Myanmar workers. Additionally, some workers headed to Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Qatar, and Macau.

Low employment rates and low salaries in the domestic market have forced young workers in Myanmar to seek jobs overseas, with the number of migrant labourers reaching over 5 million.

The ministry is making concerted efforts to create more employment opportunities for both domestic and overseas job hunters through an online labour exchange management system.

At the same time, employment agencies are responsible for the safety of Myanmar overseas workers.

Above all, overseas labour agencies are obliged to act in a correct way and remain transparent in dealing with workers and international employers.-GNLM