Problems highlighted for labour export sector  The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and labour export companies have discussed cumbersome procedures and challenges facing the sector at a meeting on March 8. Nguyen Van Minh, chairman of Thanh Hoa Labour and Expert Export Service JSC, said there were far too many licences and permits. The companies have to ask for referral letters from the provincial, district and communal authorities. Sometimes they have the referral letters from district authorities but not the communal authorities or not allowed to meet with the labourers. An employee of his was detained for a night for meeting with the labourers even though it's not illegal. "There were times we had to wait for three months to have a licence from district authorities. Some even told me that they haven't had any guest labourers for years and they are fine. The Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said they weren't authorised and need to ask the steering committee and we don't know when the committee will hold meetings," Minh said. Dam Trung Bac, director of Global Media Analysis Services, said according to the laws, they didn't have to ask for a licence to set up their own training centre. However, they were asked for multiple licences and permits by local authorities. Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung admitted that the procedures were complicated and there were at least 11 licences and documents that should be removed. Illegal labourers According to the ministry, from 2014 to 2016, Vietnam sent 350,000 labourers overseas annually, 126,000 were sent abroad last year. Vietnam's biggest markets are Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. However, more labourers are absconding and working illegally overseas. Pham Hoang Tung, vice head of the Consular Department, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said 17,000 Vietnamese were working illegally in Taiwan and there were 3,000 illegal labourers in Japan. He went on to say that Vietnamese labourers committed most of the offences in Japan compared to other guest workers. Ran-away labourers and labourers who commit crimes overseas or engage in unhealthy competition are becoming major concerns. Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam asked the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to deal with the problem and improve the service quality. He also asked the relevant agencies to publicise information about their programmes and companies that are allowed to export labourers. Tienphong