According to the MOLISA, around 500,000 Vietnamese labourers are currently working abroad under time-limit labour contracts. In 2006 alone, Vietnam exported more than 78,800 guest workers. Every year, these guest workers send around US$1.6 billion to their families, helping improve income for themselves and for society as a whole.

The sending of guest workers abroad is all plain sailing and labour export businesses are being run professionally. Labour export markets are expanding and will continue to increase in size. Vietnam sent workers to more than 40 countries and territories, including the Republic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, China, the Middle East and Europe and is expanding markets to include Australia and Canada.

Le Xuan Than, vice chairman of the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa People’s Committee said sending Vietnamese guest workers to the traditional markets of Malaysia and the Middle East with low salaries (an average of US$150-200 per month) did not attract supply. Other markets such as Japan, Australia and Canada which offer high salaries require qualifications, foreign languages and a large amount of capital to get started and many people do not meet these requirements.

Mr Than proposed that in the future, in addition to promoting labour export information and foreign language training, Vietnam should put labour export support funds into operation, which help workers obtain loans without mortgage.

Nguyen Thi Kim Hai, vice chairman of the Phu Tho provicial People’s Committee, said the province has made remarkable progress in labour exports over the past few years. In the 2002-2006 period, Phu Tho sent as many as 13,700 labourers to work overseas.

According to initial reports, the total remittance sent home by guest workers every year is equal to the province’s total budget collection, greatly contributing to the province’s efforts to reduce the rate of poverty and increase the average level of income for people.

However, Ms Hai said the quality of guest workers is low and the number of trained workers accounts for just 25 percent, resulting in low incomes.

In its plan for job training, employment and labour export in the 2007-2010 period, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs aims to send 320,000 labourers abroad and increase the proportion of trained guest workers to 65 percent by 2010.

To achieve the set target, Minister Nguyen Thi Hang highlighted some measures, including increasing the quality of guest workers, teaching foreign languages, and providing professional working skills for labourers. The ministry will focus on high technical and professional working markets with the aim of providing higher incomes.