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Foreign job opportunities for professionals to be increased

by Ananda Kannangara

Foreign employment opportunities for local professionals will be increased within the next few weeks under the new United National Front Government, a senior official Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) told the Daily News yesterday. Currently around 1200 local professionals including doctors, engineers, accountants, computer programmers, nurses and teachers are employed in foreign countries.

He said: "Among the workers employed overseas nearly 70 per cent are in Middle East countries, while the balance have obtained jobs in Asian, African and several other Western countries. A few local professionals are working in Australia too.

"Seeking overseas jobs by Sri Lankan professionals during the last four years had increased due to the severe economic crisis in the country", he said.

"Meanwhile out of the 160,000 Lankan workers who left for foreign employment last year, more than 120,000 were housemaids and others for various other employment categories including clerical, supervisory and labour work in garment factories, plantation sectors and other industrial establishments".

"At present almost all Lankans who are seeking foreign employment go through the Bureau since they are offered a number of benefits and other facilities including free air tickets and medical facilities".

"In addition, their family members are also given priority to obtain bank loans from the People's Bank and the Bank of Ceylon. They are covered by the Sureksha Insurance policy granted by the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation," he added. 

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