Pension scheme for Sri Lankan migrant workers to be implemented this year

Feb 11, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Employment Thalatha Athukorala says the pension program for migrant workers will be implemented this year.

Participating in a mobile service program held in Polonnaruwa district recently, Minister Athukorala said the approval of President, Prime Minister and the Cabinet has already been given to implement the program and the necessary documents in this regard have been directed to the Legal Draftsman Department and the Treasury.

The Minister said registration under the “Shramika Surekuma” program will be considered when providing pensions. However, the Minister said only 96,000 out of over 600,000 families with employees abroad have registered with the Foreign Employment Bureau for the program due to false propaganda about the program.

False information that the pension program was a guise to cut Samurdhi benefits and tax foreign employees, is the reason for lack of participation in the program, according to the Minister Athukorala said. Registering with the Foreign Employment Bureau will only increase benefits for employees abroad, she said.