President Orders Fast-Track Pension Scheme for Sri Lankan Migrant Workers

COLOMBO (News 1st); President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed officials to urgently resolve outstanding issues relating to the proposed contributory pension scheme for Sri Lankan migrant workers and ensure its inclusion in the forthcoming national budget.

The President issued the directive during a pre-budget discussion for 2027 and a review of the progress of projects implemented under the 2026 budget allocations for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, held at the Presidential Secretariat today (16).

Highlighting the vital contribution made by Sri Lankan migrant workers to the country's economy, President Dissanayake pointed out that foreign employment remains one of the nation's leading sources of foreign exchange earnings. 

He stressed the need to establish a more structured and sustainable pension mechanism to provide retirement security for Sri Lankans employed overseas and called for swift action to bring the initiative to fruition.

The meeting also focused on enhancing the implementation of tourism-related projects at the district level. The President instructed that financial allocations earmarked for tourism development projects be channelled directly to funding pools managed by District Secretaries, enabling faster and more effective execution of initiatives through improved coordination between District Development Committees and tourism committees.

Attention was also directed towards proposed development programmes centred around Sigiriya, Galewela and Trincomalee. The President instructed that these projects be implemented jointly by the Road Development Authority, the Ministry of Tourism and the Department of Archaeology under a unified development framework, noting that coordinated planning would help save time, resources and manpower while improving overall project efficiency.

The discussion further examined delays in project implementation caused by procurement-related bottlenecks. As a solution, President Dissanayake instructed officials to follow the new framework introduced by the Ministry of Finance, which would allow procurement activities for development projects to commence from the first week of January next year. Agreement was also reached to introduce special interventions to expedite procurement processes for projects involving unique requirements, including construction activities under the Ministry of Tourism.

The meeting additionally reviewed upcoming international promotional opportunities for the tourism industry, including the planned Asia Pacific Broadcasters Conference, which is expected to provide further exposure for Sri Lanka as a travel destination.

Discussions were also held on further digitising consular services through collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Affairs in an effort to improve efficiency, accessibility and service delivery for Sri Lankan citizens.

Another issue highlighted during the meeting was the absence of a comprehensive record of assets and lands administered under the Ministry of Tourism. The President instructed officials to expedite the preparation of a systematic report to properly document and manage these resources.

The future workforce requirements of the tourism sector also came under review. Officials noted that Sri Lanka would require approximately 800,000 skilled personnel in the tourism industry by 2030 to meet projected growth targets. As a result, attention was focused on plans to further expand training programmes currently conducted through hotel schools and other vocational training institutions to build the human resources needed for the industry's continued development.

The discussions underscored the government's dual focus on strengthening social protection for overseas Sri Lankan workers while simultaneously accelerating tourism-led economic growth, positioning both sectors as key pillars of the country's future development strategy.