📈 End to Political Interference in Foreign Jobs; E-Visa Audit Reveals US$ 1.4 Mn Tax Loss

Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath has announced significant policy shifts and provided details on the controversial e-Visa audit. • Foreign Employment Reforms: • The government has ended the long-standing culture of political interference, where ministers and their secretaries allegedly took money to send people, particularly to Israel. • Overseas job selection is now transparent, focusing on qualified candidates and strict adherence to the MoU with Israel (PIBA handles selection). • Legal action is being taken against fraudsters, including licensed agencies for Romania that charged up to Rs. 1.9 million without providing jobs. • Migrant Worker Welfare: • The Government is committed to granting Voting Rights to Sri Lankans living overseas, with a special committee already appointed to prepare the legal framework. • A new contributory pension scheme for migrant workers is being initiated to provide greater financial security, replacing the current ineffective system. • E-Visa Audit Findings (April-Aug 2024): • The special audit report is crucial evidence in the ongoing court case, citing "major procedural lapses" and a lack of transparency in the contract award. • GBS, IVS, and VFS failed to remit collected taxes, resulting in a loss of US$ 1,418,360 to the Government (comprising $172,970 SSCL and $1,245,390 VAT). • The firms handled 373,991 applications, generating approximately US$ 6.9 Mn in service-fee revenue, plus an additional US$ 1.8 Mn from fee-waiver countries. • The audit questioned the steep service fee of $18.50 per application under the new system, compared to the previous ETA charge of $1.