Remittances from expat workers improving, says Manusha

Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara on Wednesday said Sri Lanka had been able to secure lucrative employment opportunities in several countries for skilled workers.

Among them were caregiver jobs in Japan and Europe, hospitality industry jobs in England, Canada, Australia and Construction industry jobs in the Middle East, he said.

The Minister said that the government had planned to receive over USD 500 million a month during the rest of 2023 from Lankan expatriate workers.USD 560 million had been sent back by migrant workers in March, he said.

Speaking to the media at his office, Minister Nanayakkara said it had been difficult to find workers with necessary skills for overseas jobs.

The Minister said that to secure these job opportunities, the necessary skilled workers should be produced, and that an agreement had been reached with the Vocational Training Authority to train the youth for foreign employment.The country received USD 437.5 million in remittances in January, and USD 407.4 million in February, according to the Central Bank.