Envoys should be dedicated for welfare of migrant workers -President
Mohammed Rasooldeen in Kuwait
KUWAIT: President Mahinda Rajapaksa told heads of Lankan missions in
the Gulf to look after Sri Lankan expatriates with a sense of dedication
and love and requested them to work continuously for their well being
during their stay abroad.
Following the G11 Summit in Jordan, the President who was on a state
visit here, met his ambassadors in the Sri Lankan missions in the GCC
countries at the Bayan Palace in the Kuwaiti capital .
Sri Lankan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia A.M.J.Sadiq, Nabavi Junaid
ambassador to United Arab Emirates, S. Atugoda ambassador in Qatar,
Mohammed Mahroof in Oman and S.A.C.M. Zuhyle were present at the
briefing.
Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, Labour Minister Keheliya
Rambukwella and Additional Foreign Secretary Tikiri Bandara Maduwagedera,
were also present.
“You all should work for the welfare of our people and promote
bilateral relations with the respective host countries. If you cannot do
this, please step down paving the way for better people to officiate as
our envoys in these important stations in the Gulf,” the President told
his ambassadors.
“Work well or quit” is the principle to be followed by every public
servant in my government, he added.
The President said there are 1.5 million Lankan overseas workers
deployed throughout the globe and more than 50 percent of them are from
the Middle East.
“These overseas workers bring in 28 per cent of the country’s
earnings from exports.
They should be given a fair deal for their contributions towards the
economy of our country,” Rajapaksa said.
“The Government will focus special attention on them,” he added. On a
directive from President Rajapaksa, Lankan missions abroad made every
Wednesday a ‘Public Day’ where Sri Lankans in the domiciled country
could meet any officer of the mission without a formal appointment.
“This facility was to give an opportunity for every Sri Lankan
citizen living abroad to lodge grievances, if any, for Governmental
action,” he said.
He also said that his Government is now concentrating mainly on
sending personnel for more qualitative and lucrative careers, such as
nursing, banking, IT and in more skilled categories in the industrial
sector in overseas workplaces.
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