Acting FM’s Active in the Ministry

(May 12, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Acting Foreign Minister Hussein A. Bhaila handed over copies of cheques amounting to over Rs.10.4 million to the legal heirs of 8 Sri Lankans who had died during their employment abroad. This sum of money had been collected by the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Sri Lankan Missions in Beirut, Doha, Kuwait, Muscat and Riyadh as compensation, salary and other legal dues from the respective employers.

Addressing the presentation ceremony, Acting Minister Bhalia extended his condolences to the families of the Sri Lankans who had died during their employment abroad. While outlining the services rendered by Sri Lankan Missions abroad in obtaining these dues, he highlighted some of the difficulties faced by the Missions in this exercise, due to the non-receipt of the required documentation from the legal heirs, in order to submit claims to the relevant authorities abroad.

The Acting Minister handed over the cheques to the Public Trustee Sarath Seneviratne and copies of the cheques to the legal heirs of the deceased Sri Lankans. Seneviratne, speaking on the occasion, explained the procedure adopted by the Department of Public Trustee in disbursing the monies received from the Foreign Ministry to the next of kin of deceased Sri Lankans, after ascertaining the veracity of claims. H.L.H.G. Kularatne, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, thanked President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sri Lankan Missions abroad for their active interest in obtaining compensation in respect of the Sri Lankans who had died while working abroad.

Over 1.5 million Sri Lankans are employed abroad, a majority of them in the Middle East and the collection of compensation, salary and other dues owing to the legal heirs of Sri Lankans who have died while employed abroad, is one of the major functions performed by Sri Lankan Missions. Since last year, a sum of Rs.86 million has been disbursed by the Foreign Ministry through the Department of Public Trustee to the next of kin of deceased Sri Lankans.
- Sri Lanka Guardian