Employment bureau opts out of Mattala
Airport authorities at Mattala interested in attracting workers travelling to West Asia through Mattala have found it difficult to convince the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment to open up an office there.
It has been found that the employment bureau and the medical profession are opposed to such a move as there has been a well established network currently operating in Colombo that cannot now be set up there in the South.
In fact, official sources noted that there had been opposition to the bureau’s office opening in Mattala mainly because the employment agencies had already set up hostels in the vicinity (in Colombo and near the BIA) with doctors in attendance that were involved in issuing certifications for the workers going overseas for work.
Employment agencies have been able to establish this network and now would not like to shift out of their operations that could be handled smoothly in proximity to the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), sources noted.
In this respect, official sources confirmed that the employment bureau had informed airport authorities that they would look into this matter but that to this date no such office has been opened up in Mattala.