Foreign employment:

Registration goes hi-tech

Web base system begins from S Arabia:

Rasika SOMARATHNA

Sri Lanka will soon place the entire process of foreign employment registration and placement through an ICT driven system of management, considered as the most advanced of its kind among all countries engaged in promoting organized labour migration.

Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) Chairman Kingsley Ranawaka yesterday said that the installation of a web based system to facilitate the process would begin from Saudi Arabia next month, the country which houses the largest contingent of Lankan expatriate workers.

The program described as the best web based solution of its kind by Ranawaka, would link both local and foreign recruitment agents, relevant embassies and the SLBFE.

The project's objective is to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the entire process. The system will provide a web based solution for the management of foreign employment registration, faster and more efficient method for job order approval and easier access to the Bureau.

According to Ranawaka job order placement, endorsement of job orders from embassies and updating details at the SLBFE would all be done using the web based link.

It would also include details of the workers such as their qualifications, skills, personal details etc. It would also include a detailed report of their sponsor, salary agreement, working conditions, employment details etc.

It would also allow any Sri Lankan working overseas to request for welfare support or their relatives to lodge complaints on their behalf.

The project would facilitate the management of work flows, documents, databases and other related information electronically in relation to the following processors, job order approval, lodging complaints, public information, welfare and training information.

The SLBFE would also soon link with the toll free Government information hot line 1919 to facilitate information to the public regarding registered employment agents to prevent malpractices.

The hotline would provide details such as the validity of the recruitment agent, payment details, salary details of the particular job category and whether the relevant agent has the authorization for the relevant job order.

Foreign employment is Sri Lanka's largest net foreign exchange earner, one of the main source of employment for the citizen and is a critical sector to the country's economy which is growing rapidly.

Sri Lankan expatriate workers is in the excess of 1.8 million with another 250,000 joining the force annually.