Oman and Sri Lanka will soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on foreign employment, according to Dilan Perera, Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare, Sri Lanka.

Speaking at a meeting organised for manpower recruitment agencies in Oman at Al Falaj Hotel, Perera said, “The draft of the historic document has been finalised during my meeting with Minister of Manpower H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Abdullah al Bakri and will be signed in the next two months.”

The MoU will benefit both the countries, Sri Lanka will send well-trained manpower to the sultanate, he said.

The minister elaborated on the measures taken by his government to train people in various skills. “In 2011, as many as 262,960 Sri Lankans left the country to work abroad and remittances from foreign employment

was at US$5.1bn during last year. After the end of terrorism on Sri Lankan soil, the government was able to achieve 8.3 per cent economic growth rate in 2011.

We are taking a number of measures to continue our economic growth, while also keeping the inflation low.”

A short film on training of domestic workers in Sri Lanka was shown at the programme that was attended by representatives from a number of manpower recruitment agencies in Oman. the Sri Lankan ambassador to Oman and senior officers from Sri Lanka also spoke on the issue.

Earlier in the day, the minister met H E Bakri and discussed various issues related to manpower. During the meeting, Perera explained measures taken by his government to prevent illegal recruitment and human trafficking. Sri Lanka has a very stringent, anti-trafficking legal framework and is closely cooperating with other like-minded countries in this regard, the minister told mediapersons after the meeting.