It cost Labor thousands of dollars to track foreign workers from 1989 to 2002, she said in her report to the Legislature.
For the 1996 to 2002, the cost of processing and quality checking of records to produce overstayers lists reached $45,000, she added.
“Staffing for this part of the project will require overtime from department staff and part-time staffing with knowledgeable contract personnel,” Kaipat said.
Labor, she added, does not have the staff that can undertake the project during normal work hours because of budgetary and staffing cutbacks.
