Confidence Associates celebrates 30 years of excellence in foreign employment
Tuesday, 4 March 2014 00:01
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The origins of Foreign Employment in Sri Lanka could be traced back to the year I975, when this subject was handled by the Ministry of Labour, through the Employment Exchange located at Lotus Road, Colombo-01. A few hundred Sri Lankans sought foreign employment at that time without much fanfare.
Subsequently, in the year 1977, a unit named the Foreign Employment Division was established under the Department of Labour, Sri Lanka. This was the beginning of acknowledgement of the vast potential that lay in this trade. Private Employment agents were issued with approved licences to conduct the said business in an organised manner.
The demand for Sri Lankan workers was great and was left fully untapped until the late seventies. As the trade was growing in recognisable proportion the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment was established in 1985 by an act of Parliament.
In such an environment, ‘Confidence Associates’ came into being with its humble beginnings in February 1979 as a small entity. The present Managing Partner/Licensee, A.C.M. Ifthie, supported by a small staff, broke ground to provide sustainable employment for Sri Lankans through his business of foreign employment. Today Confidence Associates celebrates 35 years of service par excellence to Sri Lanka and its nation.
Confidence Associates has rendered yeoman service to the personal lives of all those workers who sought employment through them, to all the staff who had served them, to all their associated and affiliated ancillary services, through this venture.
Confidence Associates has built up an unblemished image in the international business community, as well as at home. Hundreds of thousands of employment opportunities for Lankan youth have provided economic gains to the country as a whole. Despite the ethnic war that ravaged our country for nearly 30 years the economy was able to sustain itself through the remittances made by the migrant workers.
Maintain and live up to its baptismal name
Confidence takes pride in having supported the country towards this achievement.
Unlike many other competitors in this trade, this Foreign Employment Agency has been able to maintain and live up to its baptismal name ‘Confidence’ Associates. In this respect, over the past 35 years of continued business Confidence Associates has maintained cordial relations with the authorities governing this trade.
Confidence Associates diversified its activities to organise itself better by setting up the supporting services in foreign employment under their own management. A.C.M. Ifthie, JP, Managing Partner of this institution is also an ex Vice President of the Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies (ALFEA).
Their mission is to sustain the economy of the country through foreign employment while providing sustainable employment to all Sri Lankans. They leave behind them 35 glorious years of prosperity for the down trodden, and look forward to many more golden years of service to the nation. They take this opportunity to thank all those who have supported them in many ways to achieve this noble and humble glory.
In the year 2012, in recognition of its valuable contribution to the Foreign Employment Industry, a Certificate of Excellence was awarded by the SLBFE to Confidence Associates.
In addition to this, Confidence Associates was again rewarded by the SLBFE for the continued and distinguished service of 25 years in the Industry of Foreign Employment.
Confidence Associates welcomes the proposal by the Government of Sri Lanka for the setting up of a National Authority of Foreign Employment through which it is hoped that the image of this industry is restored on a positive note. In conclusion it must be mentioned, that as pioneers in this trade, they are saddened that the veterans have been neglected despite bringing in millions of dollars into the country’s coffers.
They remain in humble service to the country and its people in confident glory.
