May 27: The second wave of COVID-19 pandemic has rendered 3.65 million people jobless. The prohibitory orders imposed in the country to contain coronavirus has made people working in sectors like tourism, transportation, construction, beauty parlor business, retail shops as well as daily-wage earners jobless. 

It's been almost a month since the government imposed restrictions on April 29 for the control and prevention of coronavirus. In this period, the number of unemployed has also been increasing.

"However, relief packages for the affected people are not available from the federal, provincial, or the local governments," said  Binod Shrestha, president of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT). 

Trade union had conducted survey in sixty districts. According to the survey, 900,000 people in tourism sector and 1.1 million people in transportation sector have been unemployed. Some vehicles working in health sector and those supplying essential materials are in operation. 

Similarly, 50 percent of 2.5 million people working in the construction sector have become unemployed. "Despite the prohibitory orders, construction process is ongoing in some of the national pride projects by setting up isolation centers in the construction sites," informed Shrestha.

GEFONT has stated that 50,000 porters are also unemployed. The beauty parlor business is also completely shut down at this time. The prohibitory order has brought the business of around 300,000 people working in this sector to a standstill.

Another sector which employs a large number of people is the self-employed sector. People earn their living by selling goods on pavements, and also by carrying their goods from one place to another. According to GEFONT, the number of such entrepreneurs is estimated to be around 300,000. 

Domestic workers have also been hit hard by the prohibitory orders. Twenty Five percent of people working in the field of handicraft have been rendered jobless.

According to Shrestha, many industries are running compared to the previous lockdown. Employees were laid off during the lockdown enforced last year. "We have not received any information of workers being laid off this year. However, workers have not received their salary this time as well," said Shrestha. 

People working in boarding schools, staff nurses, and bank employees have not been paid regularly. Similarly, another major sector affected by the restrictions is transport. Yogendra Nath Karmacharya, president of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs said that  people working in this sector and investors have also been extremely affected.

"Transport sector is reeling through recession and we don't know if the government exists," said Karmacharya. "We are looking forward to the policies the government will be introducing in the budget programme. If no relief is provided to this sector, we will hand over all the vehicles from all over the country to the government," he added.

According to the Federation, the number of public transport stands at 300,000 and the number of freight vehicles is 60,000. He said that 80 percent of the entrepreneurs will be unable to repay the loan. He said that transport entrepreneurs are demanding a full waiver of interest.