Foreign Employment Bureau completes Rs. 7 b contribution to Treasury in 2023

Thursday, 30 November 2023 01:23 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) has contributed Rs. 7 billion to the Treasury this year and a cheque for Rs. 4 billion was presented to President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday by Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara.

Earlier this year Rs. 3 billion was handed over directly to the President earlier. Concurrently, an additional allocation of Rs. 100 million has been designated for Apeksha Hospital Maharagama for medicine procurement.

In light of the prevailing economic conditions in the country, this substantial amount has been allocated from the operating surplus received by the SLFEB. The funds are earmarked for crucial activities, including the procurement of essential medicines and the disbursement of government employee salaries.

This marks a historic milestone as the SLFEB has, on various occasions, contributed a substantial amount of Rs. 3382 million to the Treasury. Notably, the current Rs. 7 billion contribution stands as a remarkable milestone, representing the Bureau’s highest annual contribution within a single year to date.

Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment Secretary R.P. Wimalaweera, SLFEB Chairman Hilmi Aziz and a delegation of senior officials graced the occasion.

Following this, a comprehensive review of the progress made by the Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment in the year 2023 was undertaken.

Minister Manusha Nanayakkara apprised the President of the key on-going initiatives spearheaded by the Ministry. He highlighted the initiation of the “Garu Saru” program, aimed at conferring dignity upon individuals engaged in the informal sector in Sri Lanka with a focus on social security programs. Moreover, Minister Nanayakkara emphasised the strategic integration of these individuals into the information system pertaining to the labour market.

To enhance the inflow of foreign remittances into Sri Lanka, the Minister highlighted challenges associated with the professional guidance activities conducted under the smart club program of Expatriate Workers’ Associations and about the implementation of a licensing system for the import of electric cars.

Minister Nanayakkara, citing a notable achievement of receiving $ 7.5 billion in remittances over the past 18 months, updated the President on initiatives such as the introduction of a pension system for expatriate workers and the establishment of a dedicated terminal for departing workers at the airport.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe underscored the pivotal role of expatriate workers’ remittances as a primary source of foreign exchange for Sri Lanka. He commended the Ministry, led by Minister Nanayakkara, for its proactive program and applauded the efforts in reforming labour laws through the introduction of the new Employment Security Act.

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