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Host of SLBFE welfare measures:
More job opportunities for Lankans in UAE
by Ananda KANNANGARA
The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) will focus on
receiving over 50,000 new skilled and unskilled employment opportunities
for Sri Lankans in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before the end of this
year.
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Minister of Foreign Employment and Welfare Dilan Perera in
conversation with President, Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce
Mohamed Thani Murshid Al Romaithi in Abu Dhabi last week. |
Foreign Employment and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera disclosed this
following his recent four-day visit to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other
employment generating countries in the United Arab Emirates.
During the visit, Minister Perera conducted a `Job Promotion Forum'
in collaboration with Chairman, Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, Mohamed
Thani Murshid Al Romaithi.
Twenty five foreign employment agents from Sri Lanka and a number of
foreign employment agents in Dubai also attended the forum.
According to the SLBFE, over 200,000 Sri Lankans are currently
employed in the UAE.
Minister Perera told the Sunday Observer that the UAE is the second
most prominent job supplier for Sri Lankans after Saudi Arabia, followed
by Kuwait.
He said attractive salaries is not the only reason for Sri Lankans to
seek employment in these countries. The Bureau has also initiated a
number of welfare measures including medical facilities, bank loans and
insurance schemes for workers, while scholarships are granted to the
children of migrant workers.
"The Bureau has also introduced compensation schemes for workers in
the event of their death or physical disability during their employment
abroad," he said.
The Minister said free vocational training courses are also conducted
by the Bureau for workers prior to their departure.
The Bureau currently conducts skills development programs in
collaboration with the Vocational Training Authority and these programs
will be expanded for the benefit of unskilled Sri Lankans securing
overseas employment in future.
"The objective of expanding the training programs, which are
conducted free by the Bureau is to send a large labour force to the
foreign job market within the next few months," he said.
These programs are conducted at the Bureau-owned Sahana Piyasa and
two other centres close to the Bandaranaike International Airport,
Katunayaka.
"The training programs benefit new workers to have a better
understanding of the social, cultural, legal, religious and economic
background of the countries they visit," Minister Perera said.
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