The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has flagged financial and administrative irregularities at the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), including the unplanned expenditure of over Rs. 1.3 billion on two programs not included in the agency’s 2024 action plan.
According to findings at the latest COPE meeting , Rs. 63 million was spent on the ‘Vigamanika Harasara’ initiative and over Rs. 1.25 billion on the ‘Glocal Fair’ program, the latter launched before securing Cabinet approval. Questions were raised about the scale of spending, given only Rs. 2 million is typically allocated for such activities annually.
COPE also found that the SLBFE has failed to recover Rs. 100 million from the 2013 Rataviru Housing Loan Program due to the non-implementation of its MoU with the Samurdhi Authority. Officials admitted to lacking data on beneficiaries, prompting the Committee to demand a full report.
The Bureau was also criticized for exceeding its regulatory mandate and not utilizing its Rs. 18 billion in fixed deposits effectively.
Further issues discussed included misuse of registration fees through fraudulent practices by employment agencies and inaction regarding the dormant Rs. 5.1 billion Kuwait Compensation Fund. A sub-committee will be appointed to investigate financial fraud related to agency misreporting. (Newswire)