Office to be set up to obtain assistance from Lankan diaspora

The government is to setup an “Office for the affairs of Sri Lankans living abroad” to coordinate with estimated three million Sri Lankan diaspora to obtain their assistance for development activities. 
The Minister of Foreign Affairs sought the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers to establish the proposed “Office for the affairs of Sri Lankans living abroad” under the Presidential Secretariat,  enabling the receipt of their assistance to the country.
As mentioned in the Interim Budget 2022, the Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister of Transport and Highways and Minister of Mass Media Bandula Gunawardana noted that the proposed ‘Office for the affairs of Sri Lankans living abroad’ would become a central coordination centre in obtaining assistance from Sri Lankan diaspora for the 
development activities.
According to Gunawardana, Sri Lankan diaspora is estimated at three million, mainly spread across Europe, Australia, United States and Canada.