Taiwan and India yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on migrant workers, the Ministry of Labor confirmed in a news release.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India, Taiwan’s de facto embassy, inked the agreement with its Indian counterpart, the India Taipei Association (ITA).
The ministry’s comments came hours after Chinese-language media reported that a labor agreement had been reached.
Photo: AP
The two nations inked the MOU via teleconference and pledged to conduct further talks on policy details, marking an advance in bilateral economic cooperation, the ministry said.
Representative to India Baushuan Ger (葛葆萱) and ITA Director-General Manharsinh Laxmanbhai Yadav have signed and exchanged documents toward finalizing the agreement, which is in sight, but has not been completed, it said.
The MOU stipulates that Taipei would decide the number of migrant workers and types of industries, New Delhi would handle recruitment and training, and that employment and border movements would be governed by the laws of both countries, it said.
Further details, such as where the workers would come from, qualification standards and recruitment methods are to be determined in future talks, the ministry added.
Negotiations on opening Taiwan to migrant workers from India began in 2020, but were shelved because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it said.
The ministry would present the agreement to the Legislative Yuan for ratification following its completion and draft supporting measures, it said.
An aging population and a falling birthrate have boosted demand for foreign workers, especially for labor-intensive work, beyond what Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand can supply, the ministry said.
Employer groups and lawmakers have urged labor officials to open new sources of migrant workers, it said.
More than 18 million Indians work abroad and are known for their skills, the ministry said, adding that they are primarily employed in construction, manufacturing, domestic labor and agriculture, which matches Taiwan’s needs.
Germany, Italy, France, Singapore, Malaysia and Middle Eastern countries have established migrant worker agreements with India, it said.
Last year, Japan inked an agreement to open the country to Indian workers. South Korea is planning to do the same and Israel is making plans to increase the number of Indian workers in its economy, the ministry said.
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