According to the Department for Overseas Labour Management, around 1,500 workers from the poor districts of six provinces have so far registered to work abroad of which 1,200 workers have been short-listed. After the short-listing, many businesses have worked hand in hand with localities to provide vocational training and teach foreign languages.

Hoang Kim Ngoc, Deputy Head of the Department for Overseas Labour Management under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said that the selection of businesses that are taking in the export labour promotion programme is to be made public.

The businesses need to pledge financial support for workers involved in local training programmes and labour supply contracts in line with the professional skills of workers from poor districts.

Over the past four months, 300 workers have been sent from disadvantaged areas to work abroad under this programme. However, the money spent on the selection and training of workers has been provided by businesses and not the State, thus holding back the labour export process.

In addition, many businesses have not accessed preferential loans, causing a lot of difficulties when training workers for labour export from 62 poor districts through the country, said Ngoc.

In fact, many businesses have to give money to guest workers in advance, as they wait for funding sources. In addition, when contracts have been signed, they have to implement them on time. If the contracts have been canceled, they will be fined up to US$400 per person.

Apart from the huge amount of money needed in advance, businesses also have to cover accommodation costs and other formalities. The Department for Overseas Labour Management said that it has not yet received any funding.

Ms Ngoc said that cumbersome formalities hinder the labour export promotion programme in poor districts. It takes a lot of time to send out the paperwork to districts.

In addition, if a legal framework has not been finalized in the first few months of bringing in decision 71, funding sources will not be available until a new memo providing guidelines is put in place.

Ms Ngoc added that many localities have not created the right conditions for businesses to access workers. Some local officials hold back workers for businesses until they have signed contracts to send guest workers abroad under decision 71. This makes many businesses that have already signed contracts to export workers find it difficult to recruit labourers.

Ms Ngoc said that localities and local officials should be clearly aware of their duties and responsibilities to send guest workers abroad.