President Directs Swift Resolution of Issues in Proposed Pension Scheme for Overseas Workers

18-Jul-2026

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed officials to resolve outstanding issues relating to the proposed contributory pension scheme for Sri Lankan migrant workers at the earliest and include the initiative in this year's Budget proposals.

The directive was issued during a pre-Budget review meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat on July 15 to assess the progress of programmes implemented under the 2026 Budget allocation for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism and to discuss proposals for the 2027 Budget.

Emphasising the importance of a structured pension scheme for Sri Lankans employed overseas, one of the country's principal sources of foreign exchange earnings, the President stressed the need for immediate action to establish the scheme.

To facilitate the effective implementation of tourism-related projects at the district level, he instructed that funds allocated for such initiatives be released directly to District Secretaries. He noted that this would enable faster execution of tourism development projects through better coordination between District Development Committees and tourism authorities.

The President also directed that proposed development projects centred on Sigiriya, Galewela and Trincomalee, to be implemented by the Road Development Authority, should be carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and the Department of Archaeology. He observed that implementing projects under a common framework, rather than through separate institutional efforts, 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, enabling procurement activities to commence from the first week of January each year.

It was further agreed that separate interventions would be introduced to expedite procurement for specialised sectors, including construction activities under the Ministry of Tourism.

The meeting also reviewed preparations for upcoming initiatives aimed at promoting Sri Lanka's tourism industry, including the Asian Broadcasters' Conference. Discussions were also held on continuing joint efforts with the Ministry of Digital Economy to modernise and improve the efficiency of consular services.

Officials pointed out that no comprehensive report on the resources and lands under the Ministry of Tourism had been prepared by previous administrations. The President instructed that work on the report be expedited.

The meeting noted that the tourism sector is expected to require around 800,000 skilled personnel by 2030. Accordingly, discussions focused on expanding training programmes currently conducted through hotel schools to meet future workforce requirements.