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| Sunday, 25 July 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Korean jobs : Don't be duped by racketeers - Casshim Rahmathulla
Casshim Rahmathulla, Working Director, Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau, in an interview with Risky Shareef, talks about the staggering Rs. 150 million loss incurred by the Bureau during the two-year United National Front Government; steps taken by the present Government to resuscitate it into an income generating organisation; and the recent agreement signed between the government of Sri Lanka and Korea, enabling 10,000 Sri Lankans to work in Korea. Question: What is your opinion regarding the removal of 86 employees from the SLBFE after Minister Athauda Seneviratne took over the portfolio as the Minister of Labour in the Alliance Government ? Answer: The SLBFE had run into great losses during the UNF government and in order to make it viable again 86 excess employees had to be removed. The former Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe without paying any heed to the excess cadre had given employment to 86 of his supporters (who had no qualifications) from the Kalutara district. They had been paid salaries simply. However, the present Minister of Labour having considered their plight paid them (all 86) a sum of Rs. 8.6m. as compensation. They are the first employees to have received compensation from SLBFE. But no compensation whatsoever had been paid to those employees sacked during the UNF regime. Q: What were the reasons for the losses sustained by the SLBFE during the last government ? A: In 2001 when Minister Athauda Seneviratne handed over the SLBFE there was a nett gain of 176m. But during the two year rule of the UNP a loss of Rs. 150m has been sustained. When the SLBFE was handed over to the Alliance Government the balance funds available was only Rs. 26m. Mahinda Samarasinghe had planned to construct houses for his supporters at a cost of Rs. 14m but it could not be carried out as Parliament was dissolved. If Parliament was not dissolved then, the balance gain would have been either rupees 10-12 M or nil. A large number of vehicles had been obtained on hire. The Bureau had to sustain great losses due to the hiring of these vehicles. As we returned those vehicles we saved about Rs. 500,000. Certain other vehicles obtained on hire cannot be returned as the period of hire has not lapsed. When the period of hire ends those vehicles too would be handed over. Q: What are the welfare facilities provided to migrant workers ? A: A programme has been drawn up to extend the services provided by the Bureau under which, arrangements will be made to receive complaints presently received by the headoffice at district secretaries' offices. An officer too will be appointed for this purpose. The condition of migrant workers' families will be looked into extensively. A study will be made on their problems and needs. We hope to increase the compensation paid at present to our migrants employed abroad on their death. The amount paid at present is Rs. 300,000 and it would be doubled to Rs. 600,000. This benefit is available only to who leave for employment after registering themselves with the Bureau. In addition we also expect to reduce the registration fees. Q: Your comment on Korean employments and the agreement signed recently ? A: Minister Athauda Seneviratne signed an agreement with the Korean government under which we may receive about 10,000 job opportunities. Various problems had arisen and corruption had taken place due to unqualified welfare officers being appointed to embassies by the former minister. As a remedial step we hope to study the activities of these welfare officers. Q: What are the fields in which Korean jobs are available ? A: Jobs are available only to skilled employees and Professionals. Salaries payable are high and as a result the foreign exchange earned by Sri Lanka will increase. This would indeed be a great support to Sri Lankan economy. Workers will be sent to Korean jobs in batches. Q: Applications for Korean jobs have been called for and there are rumours that corrupt procedure are taking place in various areas in this connection. What are your comments ? A: Applications for employment in South Korea were called for only by advertisement in the newspapers. Applications are invited by the Bureau free of charge. The applications received, will first be fed into a computer. Thereafter representatives of the Korean government will do the selection. This is the procedure adapted. At the moment we have received reports that in most parts of the country there are racketeers collecting lakhs of rupees under the guise of providing Korean jobs. Such activities are utterly illegal. No one has been appointed by the Bureau to collect fees in this respect. Therefore we warn the public not to get caught to these underhand rackets. We strictly adhere to the advertisements published in newspapers. The employment opportunities in South Korea are available to us solely because of the dedication and the interest shown by Minister Athauda Seneviratne. He and our chairman went to the Republic of Korea recently and signed the agreement and within a few months employment opportunities were available to us. This indeed is a great advantage to Sri Lankans. |
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