Special contributory pension scheme for migrant workers from January, next year

• Labour Ministry eyes 3-4-year horizon to discontinue sending unskilled workers abroad

Labour Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva recently announced that a special contributory pension scheme for migrant workers would be rolled out from January, next year. 
“When our country was going through a severe economic crisis, due to the COVID epidemic, it was our country’s migrant workers who provided our country with the foreign exchange it needed.

 Hence, their contribution and their importance is much greater today than it was before. We, as a nation, must commend their great service to rebuild our economy. They should be respected. Therefore, as a tribute to them, arrangements will be made to launch a contributory pension scheme for migrant workers from January, next year,” de Silva said.
The Central Bank last week announced that a special incentive package for Sri Lankan expatriates is in the making to encourage them to remit their funds through official channels starting next January.

Under the package, Sri Lankan expatriates, who use official channels to remit their funds to Sri Lanka, will be eligible for pension and insurance schemes, enhanced duty free allowances as well as credit facilities for their immediate family members.  Sharing his views on outward labour migrations, de Silva stressed that the country should take measure to halt sending Sri Lankan females abroad for unskilled employments such as housemaids within next three to four-year horizon and instead should focus on skilled worker migrations to capture employment opportunities such as trained domestic workers, nurses, adult caregivers and technicians as similar to what India has been doing.

Further, he also called for greater welfare benefits for Sri Lankan expatriates and their families while advocating for a fair wage and maximum protection in respective foreign countries.
In particular, the minister underscored the role of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau in educating the youth on decent foreign employment opportunities in countries such as Japan and Israel, which remain unknown to much of the youth in the outskirts of the country.