Despite the fact that women as domestic workers have earned billions of dollars, their employment abroad has created a social degeneration in the country.
Therefore, steps have been taken to reduce this category leaving the country to 25 percent in the future, Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Keheliya Rambukwella said at an awareness program held at the Buddhist Society Hall, Senkadagala, Kandy, recently.
This awareness program was held in connection with the training program for prospective foreign job seekers who were registered at Divisional Secretariat level under Mahinda Chinthanaya concept.
Divisional Secretaires, Development and Grama Seva Officers of the Central Province participated. Sri Lankan women going abroad for employment was 63 percent in 2005 and this was brought down to 48 percent last year, Minister Rambukwella said.
Our country was famous for exporting women for employment for several years, but the Ministry was able to change this situation last year. Many benefits have been provided to migrant workers and their families”.
We earned 3 billion US dollars in foreign exchange last year and sizeable proportion of this amount came from women employed as domestic workers. This is very tragic indeed, the Minister said.
“We are the first to formulate a national policy on the labour force in Asia. We also grant scholarships to children of migrant workers to the tune of Rs. 35 to 40 million annually. we have also introduced an insurance scheme for these people funded entirely by this employers, the Minister said. “We have now signed an agrement with Libya especially to provide employment in the categories of medical and nursing.
In this situation everyone of us also has a duty to help rebuild this country by contributing to the development drive to benefit our younger generation, he said.
Ministry Secretary Sunil Sirisena, Additional Secretary Sujan Nanayakkara, and SLFEB Chairman Kingsley Ranawaka were also present.
It is important to build-up a work-force covering all Divisional Secretarial Divisions in Sri Lanka who will be responsible for the promotion development, protection and Welfare of migrant workers.
Despite the fact that women as domestic workers have earned billions of dollars, their employment abroad has created a social degeneration in the country. Therefore, steps have been taken to reduce this category leaving the country to 25 percent in the future, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said
The Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Ministry yesterday announced a National Policy on Labour Migration. The effort is intended at developing a solid framework, with better protocol to enhance labour migrants contributions to the economy, society and their families.
Six thousand Sri Lankans would be found employment in South Korea next year, Chairman, SLBFE Kingsley Ranawaka said. He said that foreign exchange from migrant workers which was around Rs 150 million a few years ago had increased to Rs 350 million a year.
An organised gang has used forged documents with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) emblem to swindle millions of rupees from more than 60 people with the promise of lucrative employment and training opportunities in Japan.
Sri Lanka's ratings in the Korean migrant labour market has shown a rapid increase, improving its ranking from a meagre 13, one year back to a very competitive number three, SLBFE Chairman Kingsley Ranawaka said.
OTHER LINKS
Partners, who
work together with Ministry of Forign
Employment Promotion: & Welfare
