Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra says the government will expedite the introduction of a more structured and attractive pension scheme for Sri Lankan migrant workers.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday (10), the Deputy Minister described migrant workers as a key pillar of Sri Lanka’s economy and acknowledged their significant contribution through foreign remittances.
He noted that although around 1.7 million Sri Lankans are currently employed overseas and 2025 recorded the highest foreign remittance inflows in the country’s history, only 307 workers have enrolled in the existing pension scheme.
The Deputy Minister said the government has identified shortcomings in the current system and has initiated steps to introduce a new pension mechanism with improved benefits.
Under the proposed scheme, flexible options will replace the existing uniform system, allowing migrant workers to choose benefits based on their period of overseas employment and income levels.
Accordingly, workers will have the option of receiving either a monthly pension after completing their service period or a lump-sum payment upon maturity.
The Deputy Minister further stated that Rs. 2.1 billion has been allocated through the Kuwait Fund to support the implementation of the pension scheme, with the government aiming to make significant progress before December 31, 2026.
As part of the programme’s digital transformation, the Ministry of Digital Technology is working to introduce a dedicated mobile application that will enable the accurate recording of legally remitted foreign earnings and provide migrant workers with official remittance reports.
Through the new system, workers will be able to obtain verified records of the total remittances they have sent to Sri Lanka, while pension benefits will be calculated transparently based on those records.
The Deputy Minister emphasized that participation in the pension scheme will be entirely voluntary and expressed confidence that it will be successfully implemented through the joint efforts of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Digital Technology.
