Errant job agencies invalidated

Stanley SENEVIRATNE-Kurunegala North group corr.

Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) Special Investigation Unit recently cancelled eleven job agencies that operated under different names at many parts of the island.

In addition, the investigation teams had also cracked down 59 illegal foreign job recruitment agencies during the first six months since January.

SLBFE Chairman Kingsley Ranawaka told the media that legal action was taken against 63 owners of these 59 errant job agencies and provided relief for victimised job seekers following Court orders.

He said 70 percent of the fines which were imposed by Courts on bogus job agencies was deposited in the SLBFE Accounts and it will be utilised to provide welfare facilities for workers and their dependents. Ranawaka said licences of a number of registered employment agencies which carried out unauthorised activities when selecting employees for foreign jobs have been temporarily suspended until investigations are over.