Pension Scheme for Overseas Workers discusssed
Resolve Issues in the Proposed Contributory Pension Scheme for Overseas Workers and Include It in the Upcoming Budget
—— President Issues Directive at the 2027 Pre-Budget Discussion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed the relevant officials to promptly resolve the outstanding issues relating to the proposed contributory pension scheme for Sri Lankan migrant workers and include the scheme in this year’s Budget proposals.
The President issued these instructions while chairing a review of the progress of projects implemented under the 2026 budget allocations and the 2027 pre-budget discussion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, held at the Presidential Secretariat.
Noting that overseas workers remain one of the country’s largest sources of foreign exchange earnings, the President emphasized the need to establish a more structured and sustainable pension scheme for migrant workers and stressed the importance of taking swift action to implement it.
The President also instructed that financial allocations for tourism development projects be transferred directly to the funds allocated to District Secretaries, enabling tourism-related proposals to be implemented more efficiently at the district level. He pointed out that this approach would facilitate the swift implementation of tourism development projects through closer coordination between the District Development Committees and the Tourism Committees.
The President further directed that the development programs proposed by the Road Development Authority, centered on Sigiriya, Galewela, and Trincomalee, be implemented jointly with the Ministry of Tourism and the Department of Archaeology. He observed that working under a single integrated plan, rather than having each institution operate independently, would save both time and resources.
Attention was also drawn to delays in project implementation caused by procurement procedures. As a solution, the President instructed officials to adopt the new procurement framework introduced by the Ministry of Finance, which allows procurement activities to begin in the first week of January each year. It was also agreed to introduce a separate intervention to expedite specialized procurement processes, such as those for construction projects undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism.
The meeting also discussed programs planned to promote Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, including the forthcoming Asian Broadcasters’ Conference. Discussions were further held on developing additional initiatives in collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Affairs to further enhance the efficiency of consular services through digitalization.
It was also noted that no comprehensive report on the assets and lands under the Ministry of Tourism had been prepared during previous administrations. The President instructed officials to expedite the preparation of the relevant report.
The discussion further highlighted that the tourism sector is expected to require a workforce of approximately 800,000 people by 2030. Accordingly, attention was given to plans to further expand the training programs currently conducted through hotel schools to meet this future demand.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath, Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Chief of Presidential Staff Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Senior Additional Secretaries to the President Roshan Gamage and Kapila Janaka Bandara, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Dr Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Aruni Ranaraja, together with officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, attended the meeting.