Govt. ended culture of political interference in foreign employment: Minister Herath

Reveals practice of ministers, deputy ministers, and their private secretaries intervening and taking money to send people to Israel for employment

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FOREIGN Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday said that the Government has put an end to the long-standing practice of ministers, deputy ministers, and their private secretaries intervening and taking money to send people to Israel for employment.

Speaking at the 40th anniversary celebration of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) Minister Hearth explained, under the new system, only qualified candidates would be selected for overseas jobs through a transparent process in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Israel.

"In the past, the public did not have a good image of the Bureau. People were charged lakhs of rupees and misled by fraudsters. Some ministers and their secretaries took money to send people abroad. We have ended that culture. Today, the political authority does not interfere, and the officers of the Bureau are carrying out their duties with dedication," Minister Herath said.

He added that the Bureau was sending an increased number of workers to Israel, but there had been misunderstandings regarding the recruitment process.