No more Sri Lankan housemaids to Middle East?

By Gagani Weerakoon

The government has taken a decision to stop sending Sri Lankan women as housemaids to Middle East countries.

Ministry of Foreign Employment Development and Welfare said this was told at a meeting with the President and ministry secretaries at the Temple Trees yesterday.

“Instead of sending housemaids to labour in foreign countries President Mahinda Rajapaksa asked us to promote and send trained females as prospective nurses and attendants where they can earn more with due respect,” a Ministry spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, a project has been initiated to send more workers for jobs in construction and engineering services in Doha and Qatar.

Under this the Ministry of Construction and Engineering Services has already begun a project of constructing 345 houses in Doha and Qatar worth Rs 13 billion.

According to the Ministry measures are already underway to send a crew of 1000 including engineers, architects, surveyors, planners and other technicians.

Minister Rajitha Senaratne said these people were given good salaries, accommodation and other facilities and added that the amount of expected foreign income was more than double of what the country got at present.