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| Sunday, 20 June 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Italian visas and speedboats From the Kraal Mahout Interesting topics are now under discussion among former UNP ministers defeated at the April general elections. Last week they were discussing the one thousand Italy jobs promised by former Labour Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and the joke cracked by Mahinda Wijesekere at a subsequent group meeting that he could have done better if he was given 10 speedboats. Wijesekere made this crack as he was a man who had close access to the sea, representing the Matara district. The Labour Ministry has been the Temple of Faith and Justice for the working class of this country. Ministers who occupied that office during the past 25 years, commencing 1977 from both the UNP and PA, have done much for the working class. This ministry is an exclusive place that has produced many Governors, a Speaker of Parliament, two Prime Ministers, a President and a Chief Minister. The ministers who occupied this office from 1977 were men of high calibre like Capt. C. P. J. Seneviratne, P. C. Imbulana, Joseph Micheal Perera, D. B. Wijetunge, G. M. Premachandra, M. L. M. Abusally, Mahinda Rajapakse, John Seneviratne, Alavi Mowlana and Athauda Seneviratne till 2001. The latter is back at that office again to clean up the alleged corruption during the two-year rule of the United National Front government. Of the former Labour Ministers, Imbulana became a Governor, Joseph Micheal Perera (Speaker), D. B. Wijetunga (Governor, Prime Minister and President), Abusally (Governor), Mahinda Rajapakse (Prime Minister) Athauda Seneviratne (Chief Minister) and Mowlana (Governor). The elevations to these key positions indicate that they have been rewarded well by nature for their outstanding performances of having operated institutions under them without corruption. No top official in any of the institutions under the ministry was ever produced before a court of law when these Labour Ministers held office. These factors bear testimony to the efficient manner that the ministry operated, to serve the working class of this country. In 2001, the UNF government assumed office and Mahinda Samarasinghe took office as Labour Minister. Within a few months, he made a big scream about securing 1000 visas for Italy jobs and of another 10,000 jobs in Korea. Minister Samarasinghe stressed that visas would be available for jobs in Italy and the applicants would have to possess some knowledge of the Italian language. As usual, Samarasinghe obtained the widest publicity for this job project. Applicants were asked to follow a course in Italian language. The fee was Rs. 7,500. Of the 1,500 applicants, 1,300 underwent training. Sources from the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) disclosed on Friday that none of those 1,300 persons trained have secured visas to proceed to Italy. They are yet languishing in Sri Lanka, often visiting the Bureau seeking as to when they could make it. The 10,000 Korean jobs have also become a distant dream. The SLFEB, a brainchild of former Minister Joseph Micheal Perera but implemented by Imbulana, was set for the welfare of migrant workers. Workers stranded in the Middle East were attended to by this Bureau. The aim was to promote more overseas jobs and to protect Sri Lankan workers overseas. Labour Ministers closely scrutinised the activities of the Bureau as it was a money making institution under the ministry. During the two years of the UNF government, Bureau sources said, SLFEB funds had been used for the electorate promotional work of ministers and it had been made a job bank for people in the Kalutara district. Staff had been recruited outside the cadre on contract basis. The number of women on contract basis had increased day by day, creating a burden for the coffers of the Bureau. The new Chairman had been forced to terminate nearly 90 employees recruited outside the cadre, of which the majority were women. SLFEB sources said that corruption was rampant at the Bureau and the UNF government was embarrassed when the former Chairman, Susantha Fernando was produced in court on allegations of fraud. That was the first time a high ranking official of the Bureau was produced in court after it was set up for the noble cause of looking after the welfare of migrant workers. Minister Samarasinghe subsequently announced that Susantha Fernando had tendered his resignation as Chairman which he had accepted. When the story of the 1,000 Italy jobs surfaced at a recent UNP group meeting, former Minister Mahinda Wijesekere who displayed a mischievous grin quipped that had the UNF given him 10 speedboats, he would have smuggled out that number in phases to Italy without any publicity stunts. Many Sri Lankans attempt to smuggle themselves to Italy off the seas of Dondra. This seems to be the key route to that destination. But, the Labour Ministry and SLFEB officials are unaware of the fate of the 1,000 Italian visas. They now ask whether it was a publicity gimmick or a hoax of the former UNF regime. |
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