KATHMANDU: Bhuwan Singh Gurung has been elected as the new President of the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA), the umbrella organization of 853 recruiting agencies across the country.

In the closely watched election, Gurung secured 428 votes, defeating his nearest rival Naresh Gelal, who garnered 367 votes — a winning margin of 61 votes. Gurung previously served as NAFEA’s Second Vice-president and is also the Director of Gurung Management Pvt Ltd.

Alongside Gurung, Mahesh Kumar Basnet has been elected as the General Secretary, with 423 votes against Karna Raj Katuwal’s 362. Other elected office bearers include Kunchha Dorje Dimdung as Secretary and Dhanmaya Sinjali as Treasurer.

The newly elected executive committee members are Rekha Sharma, Krishna Dhakal, Bharat Sapkota, Ramkaji Bholan, Suvarna Lama, Hima Gurung, Rama Khadka, Devi Prasad Giri, Suman Raj Pandey, and Bidya Laxmi Bajracharya, according to Deepak Thapa, President of the Nepal Democratic Foreign Employment Entrepreneurs Association.

NAFEA plays a vital role in promoting safe and ethical foreign employment practices. The association works to protect the rights of both Nepali migrant workers and its member organizations, aiming to improve Nepal’s foreign employment sector through collaborative governance and policy advocacy.