The government will begin paying more than Rs. 4,500 million in long-overdue Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees’ Trust Fund (ETF) arrears to more than 10,000 current and former workers of three state-owned plantation companies.
The statutory arrears, which have remained unpaid for more than 20 years, are scheduled to be paid from Thursday (10), according to the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure.
Under the approved allocation, more than Rs. 1,961 million will be paid to around 3,000 employees of the Sri Lanka State Plantations Corporation (SLSPC), more than Rs. 2,024 million to 6,123 employees of the Janatha Estates Development Board (JEDB), and more than Rs. 503 million to around 1,000 employees of Elkaduwa Plantations.
The Cabinet approved the payments following a proposal submitted on the initiative of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Minister Samantha Vidanapathirana, taking into consideration the economic and social challenges faced by plantation workers, particularly after retirement and in old age.
The payments are aimed at strengthening the financial security of plantation workers and safeguarding their rights, in line with the government’s policy of strengthening the economic wellbeing of the plantation community.
The launch of the arrears payment programme is scheduled to take place at the Kandy District Secretariat on Thursday (10), with Minister Samantha Vidanapathirana, Labour Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando, Deputy Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Sundaralingam Pradeep and senior officials expected to attend. (Newswire)