Amendments to the Foreign Employment Act No. 21 of 1985 to be tabled in parliament shortly include tighter regulation of migrant employment with heavy fines and harsher sentences for job agents who recruit without proper job orders and send minors for employment.

Senior Secretary Information to the Ministry Lalith Bopitiya said that Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare, Keheliya Rambukwella was scheduled to present the amendments on the conclusion of the Budget.

Chairman of the Foreign Employment Bureau Kingsly Ranawaka said fines totaling Rs 200,000 and prison sentences up to 2 years were in the scheduled amendments as job agents were found to be taking the present legislation lightly. The fines and sentences did not match up to the crime, he said.

These amendments would go a long way to increase the number of migrant workers going abroad and to generate an increase in the foreign exchange remittances to US $ 4 billion in 2009.

He said that the amendments would include the registration and the regulating of sub agents who play a positive role in securing prospective migrant workers for job agents. This would also go a long way in stamping out frauds.

Stranded Lankans will be repatriated  - Bhaila

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hussain Bhaila told Parliament yesterday (1) that a number of Sri Lankans stranded at the Bangkok airport were to be repatriated overland through Malaysia and then flown to Colombo. The Sri Lanka Ambassador Dr. T. B. Dissanayake had taken steps to get the stranded Sri Lanka released from the airport that had been surrounded by protesting Thai nationals.

Lakshman Kiriella (UNP) Kandy District - said some persons from Kandy were also at the Bangkok airport and their passport and other important things were locked up by the protesters in lockers.

Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremasinghe said action should be taken by get the Sri Lankans back.

Deputy Minister Hussain Bhaila: It is not possible to enter the airport. It has been surrounded by protestors.

Ranil Wickremasinghe: Like in Sri Lanka the protesters are asking for the establishment of governance. All the Lankans had become helpless.

Leaders of the House Nimal Siripala de Silva: The UNP had become helpless as it had no proper leadership.

Kolonnawa not cultural but garbage town – Dinesh

Chief Government Whip and Ministry of Urban Development - answering a question in Parliament yesterday said the official residence of the Minister of Water Supply was repaired. Equipment to the value of Rs. 571,431 had been purchased for a period of 3 years from 2005.

R. P. Ranaweera Pathirana (JVP) who raised the question said people are suffering under floods and soldiers fighting in the north are undergoing severe problems but ministers are spending hundred thousands of rupees for their furniture and other comforts at public expense.

Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardane told Parliament yesterday that a foundation stone was laid for a cultural town of Kolonnawa. The foundation stone laying ceremony was held in 1999 but the cultural town had not come up though the foundation stone had cost Rs. 221,000.

Lakshman Nipunarachchi (JVP) who raised the question said Kolonnawa had become a garbage town.

Dinesh Gunawardena, The cultural town project was started under an agreement with a foreign company but a dispute had arisen and there was a court case pending about it.

LTTE killed Sinhala doctor :Karuna

Vinayagamurthi Muralidaran (UPFA) National List Member told Parliament yesterday that the LTTE killed the Sinhalese doctor who had treated over 20,000 patients at Batticaloa. It was after 17 years that a Sinhalese doctor had come to the area and he was killed by LTTE terrorists who did not want Tamil patients served.

Muralidaran said he had requested Minister Kumara Welgama to bring industries to the Eastern Province and Minister of Health Nimal Siripala de Silva to improve the health facilities and Minister Chamal Rajapaksa to improve irrigation schemes, especially the small reservoirs and all of them had cooperated to bring in development to the east. We are now enjoying freedom after more than two decades and I too, was in the LTTE for 22 years and the people got nothing from the LTTE.