Only 50,000 employers pay EPF to their employees - Labour Minister

Labour Minister Athauda Seneviratne requested the Assistant Labour Commissioners to prepare a scheme within six months to recover money for not paying monthly EPF contributions by one and a half lakhs of employers for only 50,000 employers pay monthly EPF in Sri Lanka.

Seneviratne speaking at a progress review meeting of Assistant Labour Commissioners at the Labour Ministry auditorium recently said about Rs. 200 million is contributed monthly to the Employees Provident Fund from about 20 lakhs of employees. But the total labour force will be about 70 lakhs. Minister instructed all Assistant Labour Commissioners to produce them in Courts and make arrangements to recover EPF contributions from those who are not paying EPF.

The Minister said for the implementation of this activity, graduates were recruited as the officials cadre is not sufficient to fulfil the workload. The number of officials engaged in this activity have been increased up to 600 number and they will be paid encouragement and travelling allowances, he said.

"If the productivity of this Ministry is in lower state it will be meaningless of talking of the country's productivity, Minister added.

He requested all the employees at his ministry to change their attitudes to build a new society for the purpose of increasing productivity in the Ministry.

Central Bank reports revealed that 51% of total population of the country are below the poverty line who depend on relief concessions and Samurdhi Aid.

Mahinda Madihahewa, Secretary to the Ministry, Additional Secretaries Jayatillake and Padmini Ratnayake also participated at the meeting followed by a Shrama Abhimanie award ceremony.