President's contribution to foreign employment sector
Kingsly RANAWAKA
At a time when the foreign employment sector
has become one of the key contributors to Sri Lanka's foreign exchange
earnings I think it is time to take a look back at the past happenings
where President Mahinda Rajapaksa then as the Minister of Labour played
a crucial role in laying the foundation for the present prosperity.
It was after President Rajapaksa assumed duties as labour Minister in
1994 that Sri Lanka's foreign employment sector gained professional
clarity and national recognition. The foreign employment sector which
gained some progress after the 1970 decade expanded in the 1990s with a
large number of people earning vital foreign exchange for the country.
But at that time there were many misconceptions as well as a rather
negative attitude towards export labour. When the President became the
Labour Minister in 1994 he made a detailed study about the sector and
later underscored the importance of giving priority to export labour as
a high income generating avenue for the country.
Thus urgent short term and long term measures were initiated to
propagate the industry. Chief among them were the mandatory recognition
for jobs abroad, free training facilities, social insurance schemes,
welfare measures for family members back home, looking for new
opportunities etc.
Other initiatives included awareness, management of foreign earnings,
upgrading diplomatic missions, MOUs with foreign countries, due
recognition for expatriate workers, welfare facilities, tax concessions
etc.
Later all this laid the foundation to make the foreign employment
sector the leading foreign exchange earner of the country. As a result
misconceptions about export labour were allayed and more people started
engaging in this sector as a viable income earning opportunity.
President Rajapaksa during his tenure as labour minister launched a
series of programmes for the benefit of children of expatriate workers
in 1996. The most significant among them was the scholarship programme
for children of expatriate workers who passed year five scholarship and
G C E A/L examination and higher studies.
The programme started with an initial fund of Rs.1.57 million for 157
children in 1996. Today the scheme awards scholarships worth more than
Rs. 350 million to nearly 17,000 children. Thus a small sapling planted
by him in the 1990s has grown into a massive tree today, providing
shelter to a community whose contributions has made them a crux of
development in this country. The programme launched by the President to
distribute complete sets of school equipment to children of expatriate
workers is also being continued to date.
The President also had laid emphasis on improving the skilled worker
category than sending unskilled female domestic workers. Today the SLBFE
has initiated a series of measures to enhance the skills of the workers.
In addition foreign help has been sought too to increase the skill
levels in order to meet the modern day demands. In addition the move by
the President to introduce a separate ministry for foreign employment
promotion and welfare and also appoint an efficient and intelligent
minister in the form of Minister Keheliya Rambukwella to take charge of
it has paid dividends.
Thus today the progress of the industry has made the Sri Lankan
expatriate worker community and their families numbering nearly four
million, the flag bearers of the country's development and progress.
( The writer is an Attorney at Law and Chairman of Sri Lanka Bureau
of Foreign Employment )
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