ISLAMABAD: Time-bound standard operating procedures (SOPs) for signing letters of interest (LOIs) and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with foreign companies and governments for engagements and placements of Pakistani human resources traveling overseas annually as well as those who are already living abroad have been released by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development.
This has been done, a senior official told Dawn, to ensure institutional arrangements for better returns to the Pakistanis living abroad as well as higher remittance flows while making sure that dishonest companies do not take advantage of Pakistani emigrants or send overseas unqualified workers with phony certifications and documentation that damage Pakistan’s reputation among foreign potential employers at the expense of Pakistani workers’ loss of market share.
The SOPs, which request compliance from pertinent institutions and stakeholders, were released on Friday. The aforementioned establishments encompass the Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC), Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE), Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), Employees Old-Age Benefit Institution (EOBI), Workers Welfare Funds (WWF), National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC), and Director of Welfare Education.
These institutions have been informed that international agreements such as letters of intent and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) are valuable vehicles for enhancing international cooperation and that they ought to expedite their processing by removing needless and excessive delays.
As per the directives, as soon as a counterpart country provides a draft, the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis would promptly convene an interministerial meeting with pertinent stakeholders to discuss the goals, scope, and specifics of the proposed cooperation. Additionally, the meeting would aim to gain a comprehensive understanding of the stakeholders.
The minutes of the meeting will be distributed right away to all parties involved, including the pertinent ministries, enabling them to provide formal written feedback.
The relevant government or institution will be presumed to have no objections if comments are not received in a span of 10 days. For reasons related to finances and security, the ministries of finance and interior would not be subject to this deadline.
As required by the Rules of Business, the approved draft will be forwarded to the Ministry of Law for legal review before being approved by the federal cabinet.
A senior official of Grade 20 or 21 would follow up on the matter with the relevant ministries and institutions on a regular basis during this procedure.
