The Government is preparing to introduce a more flexible and attractive pension scheme for Sri Lankan migrant workers, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra told Parliament on Friday (10).
Responding to a private member’s motion moved by MP Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, the Deputy Minister said the proposed scheme would replace the current one-size-fits-all model by offering benefits based on workers’ employment periods and income levels.
Under the new programme, migrant workers will be able to choose between receiving a monthly pension after retirement or a lump-sum payment upon maturity, providing greater flexibility to suit individual financial needs.
Hemachandra said the Kuwait Fund has allocated Rs. 2.1 million for the “Rataviru” pension scheme and expressed confidence that substantial progress would be made before December 31, 2026.
He also announced plans to introduce a dedicated digital application in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Technology to generate official remittance reports for Sri Lankan migrant workers.
The application will enable overseas workers to obtain verified records of the money they have legally remitted to Sri Lanka. These records will be used transparently to calculate pension benefits under the proposed scheme.
According to the Deputy Minister, approximately 1.7 million Sri Lankans are currently employed overseas. Despite the country recording its highest-ever annual foreign remittance inflow in 2025, only 307 migrant workers have enrolled in the existing pension scheme.
He said the new welfare programme will remain voluntary and will be implemented jointly by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) and the Ministry of Digital Technology.