Lower income workers contribute more to country's remittances than educated expats: Momen
Momen said steps have been taken for the greater welfare of the expatriate Bangladeshis and to enhance their dignity
Lower income expatriates tend to contribute a larger amount of their earnings to remittances compared to more educated individuals, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said today (30 December).
"Our remittance rate is notably low, largely attributed to a significant portion of our expatriates being unskilled. Merely one and a half percent of our expatriates in the Middle East are skilled. However, those with lower levels of education contribute more significantly in remittances compared to their educated counterparts," he said while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the National Expatriates' Day at Bangabandhu International Conference Center.
Mentioning that Bangladesh ranks seventh in remittance earning, the minister pointed out that despite having a smaller population, countries like the Philippines ($38 billion) and Mexico ($61 billion) outpace Bangladesh in remittance earnings.
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India leads in remittances, surpassing all with a total of $112 billion, he added.
Regarding the issue of workers struggling to secure jobs abroad, the minister highlighted that the foreign ministry is not involved in recruitment processes.
"Previously, the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) had communicated with the foreign ministry, emphasising the necessity to scrutinise demands from certain companies. However, recently they have not been informing the ministry regarding this matter," Momen said.
Alleging that many Bangladeshis living abroad spread false information about the country, Momen said, "The country has developed due to peace and stability. Expats often spread false information. I hope, in future, they will shed light on the positive developments taking place in the country."
