Best foreign job agencies honoured

Rasika Somarathna

Sri Lanka's best performing foreign employment agencies identified under the new star rating system were honoured in the 'Excellence Awards - 2012' held at the Waters Edge hotel, Tuesday.

Out of over 800 agencies in the country, 307 were given a new performance rating of one to four stars based on an assessment of their overall performance in 2009 and 2010, using available evidence.

However, none of the agencies was able to bag the top rating of five stars.

Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera said that this was only the beginning and that he hoped many five star employment agencies would emerge next year as the Sri Lanka's first ever rating system for the sector gathers momentum.

In 2009, the foreign employment authorities introduced the star rating system (similar to the grading of hotels) to identify and give due recognition to agencies performing well by encouraging business in the way of rewards and appreciation.

The Sri Lanka Bureau of foreign Employment (SLBFE) with the help of the Sri Lanka Standard Institute (SLSI) introduced a point based system, on criteria, such as, recruitment, dispute settlement, new visas, ratio between job orders and departures, payment of tax, renewal of licences, legal cases, complaints etc. with the points being upgraded annually.

In the excellence awards, 303 agencies were crowned with stars according to the grading system.

Accordingly, 63 one star agencies, 173 two star agencies, 58 three star agencies and nine four star agencies emerged.

Key note speaker Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal while paying tribute to the authorities, employment agents and the migrant workers for their contribution to the national economy said that the sector is the country's number one foreign exchange earner.

The governor said that over 1.7 million Sri Lankans work outside the country and they have remitted over US $ 5.2 billion in 2011.

He also noted that the sector was the most productive in terms of profit.

SLBFE Chairman Amal Senalankadhikara, Technology and Research Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi also spoke.