October 29, Colombo (LNW): President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has called on government authorities to remove unnecessary delays in providing welfare benefits to Sri Lankan citizens working abroad, emphasising their vital role in supporting the national economy through remittances.
The directive was issued during a meeting with officials of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) at the Presidential Secretariat, where the implementation of support measures for overseas workers came under review, according to the President’s Media Division.
Discussions centred on the progress of existing welfare initiatives and the practical difficulties affecting access to assistance, including housing programmes, financial support through loan schemes and duty-free concessions. The President stressed that administrative hurdles should not prevent eligible workers from receiving the benefits intended for them.
He also underscored the importance of improving the collection and maintenance of information on Sri Lankan nationals employed overseas. A comprehensive and regularly updated database, he noted, would enable authorities to identify workers’ needs more effectively, improve the delivery of assistance and strengthen the planning of future welfare initiatives.
The meeting brought together Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath, Labour Minister and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr Anil Jayantha Fernando, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, ministry secretary Aruni Ranaraja, SLBFE Chairman Kosala Wickramasinghe and other senior officials.
The discussions reflect the government’s emphasis on improving institutional support for overseas workers, whose foreign currency earnings remain an important source of income for Sri Lanka. Ensuring that assistance reaches eligible recipients efficiently is expected to remain a key consideration in the administration of migrant worker welfare programmes.
