News

Economic sectors at risk from departures of 14,000 professionals

Published

3 months ago

July 9, 2023

editor

The growing exodus of professionals and skilled workers to foreign countries will threaten the quality of services provided to the public, experts warn.

Statistics reveal that the country’s heading towards a major brain drain with 14,307 professionals leaving the country last year compared with 2,957 professionals in 2020 and 8,373 in 2021.

According to the Bureau of Foreign Employment, the majority of the professionals were between 30 years and 39 years of age.

Last year also saw 8,130 middle level employees leaving the country. Over 12,000 clerical staff have left, while only 2,400 left in 2020.

In 2022, 92,836 skilled workers left the country compared with the 40,000 in 2021. A majority of them were between 25 years and 44 years of age.

The Association of Medical Specialists said the Government should immediately intervene to retain young specialists, while increasing the retirement age of consultants.

The association’s media secretary Dr. Asoka Gunaratne said out of the trained 30 consultant emergency physicians, 20 have left the country.

“The only paediatric radiology specialist in the country has emigrated. About 70-80% who go for consultant training to the UK and Australia do not return,” he said.

He said the Government’s decision to raise the retirement age of specialist consultant doctors to 63 years is needed at a time when huge numbers of young specialists are leaving the country.

“If they (Government) fails to increase the age limit, about 600 consultants will retire. The country is already short of about 2,000 consultants,” he said.

Dr. Gunaratne said lack of good accommodation, limited private practice opportunities and no school facilities for children, are causing frustration among young specialists serving in rural hospitals.

Prof. Bharana Jayawardena, president of the Federation of Teachers’ Associations said universities are at risk of losing 1st or 2nd uppers in universities as probationary lecturers.

“People are reluctant to sign sureties for PhD scholarship students as they doubt whether the students will return to the country. Even those who return stay for 2-3 years and consider emigration,” he said.

He said lecturers of medical faculties in universities away from Colombo are grabbing every opportunity to emigrate.

“There are a number of vacancies in vet, agriculture faculties as well, that could have an impact on the country’s agriculture, livestock sectors in the coming years,” Prof. Jayawardena said.

He said the government should increase investment in higher education, such as research grants for universities, provide flexible transfers and facilitate school admission for their children.

At a recent Committee of Public Account (COPA) meeting in Parliament, Government Analyst Deepika Seneviratne highlighted that there are 25 vacancies because scientific officers have gone overseas, triggering delays in reports. She said contract staff have to be hired to complete accumulated reports.

General secretary of Ceylon Bank Employees Union Ranjan Senanayake said over 1,000 employees in both the private and state bank sector have left the country.

“Those emigrating already have 10-15 years experience. Many are not seeing a future for their children here,” he said.

(sundaytimes.lk)

News

Samurdhi Dept. told to conduct survey to identify poverty-stricken families

Published

2 hours ago

September 26, 2023

editor

The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Alleviating the Impact of the Economic Crisis has instructed the Department of Samurdhi Development to conduct a quick survey to identify other poverty-stricken families who need to be empowered.

This was taken into discussion when the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Alleviating the Impact of the Economic Crisis met in Parliament on Sep. 19 chaired by MP Gamini Waleboda Member of Parliament.

Commenting further, the Member of Parliament stated to the officials of the Department of Samurdhi Development to appoint a Committee together with the Ministry of Finance, the Welfare Benefits Board and the Department of Census and Statistics to take the necessary measures.

The discussion was held with the aim of reviewing the goals of the Department of Samurdhi Development to reduce the impact of the economic crisis and the current plans to achieve those goals in the year 2024.

The officials of the Department of Samurdhi Development, who presented the facts, mentioned that at present there are more than sixteen hundred thousand Samurdhi beneficiary families. Accordingly, the department has planned to empower forty-one hundred thousand families in the two years from 2024 to 2026.

The Chair reminded the officials that the responsibility of empowering all families who are affected by the economic crisis and those who are not is entrusted to the Department of Samurdhi Development. The Committee also ordered the Department of Samurdhi Development to immediately prepare a plan to eradicate poverty within the next five years.

The Leader of the Opposition – Sajith Premadasa, addressing the Committee, pointed out the dire need to first establish technical definitions to identify poverty.

The Committee also discussed about the proposed number of new employees in the department, which has been presented in relation to the future plans of the Department of Samurdhi Development. The Committee Chair pointed out that the sacrifices made by the officers of the Department of Samurdhi Development Department during the Covid pandemic cannot be forgotten. The Chair instructed the officials of the Management Services Department to take into consideration the work done by them in the past while approving the proposed number of new employees. Accordingly, the Committee ordered the Management Services Department to come to a final decision about the proposed staff of the Samurdhi Development Department within two weeks and to approve it.

The Committee also discussed the people who have not yet received their pension due to the retired officials of the Samurdhi Development Department and the related reasons. The Chair asked the officials of the Department of Pensions to arrange for the payment of the basic pension to the employees who have not yet received their pension.

News

Inland Revenue Act to be amended

Published

2 hours ago

September 26, 2023

editor

The Cabinet has approved a proposal to amend the Inland Revenue Act No. 24 of 2017, the Government Information Department said.

It has been proposed that it is appropriate to amend the Inland Revenue tax to enable to request tax relief by any charity establishment that provides health facilities to children with disabilities in the society joined hands with government health services / education system and that is established as a legitimate institution prioritizing the well–being of the differently-abled children in society while being established as a legitimate institution or registered under any law enforced for registering social services organizations.

Accordingly, the Cabinet approved the resolution prepared by the acting Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies to direct the Legal Draftsman to draft a Bill to amend the Inland Revenue Act including legal provisions.

News

National Debt Management Institute to be established

Published

2 hours ago

September 26, 2023

editor

The Cabinet has granted approval to establish a National Debt Management Institute.

It has been emphasized in the supplementary Budget of 2022 the importance of the establishment of a State Loan Management Institute as an institutional reformation while enhancing loan management and transparency has been recognized as a prioritized sector even under the appropriation loan facility of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Government said that technical assistance has been rendered by the IMF and the World Bank in order to establish the proposed state loan management institute.

The loan management reformation plan, loan management institutional framework and legal framework have been planned by now.

Accordingly, the Cabinet approved the resolution tabled by the acting Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies to direct the Legal Draftsman to draft the Bill of the State Loan Management Act.