MUSCAT : The 4th Technical Committee Meeting under the MoU in the Field of Labour and Training between the State Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Market Diversification of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Labour of the Sultanate of Oman was held on 23rd December 2020 via video conferencing.

Sri Lanka side was represented by Additional Secretary Yamuna Perera and Senior Assistant Secretary of the State Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Market Diversification of Sri Lanka K. Nikerilkanth, Additional General Manager (International Affairs) W.M.V.Wansekara and Deputy General Manager (Foreign Relations) of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment Mr..K.L.H.K. Wijeratna from Colombo.

Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Sultanate of Oman Ameer Ajwad participated from the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Muscat. Counsellor (Employment and Welfare) Renuka Senarathne and First Secretary of the Embassy W.D.N. M. Abeysekara were also present during the Meeting.

Oman side was represented by Director General of the General Directorate of Labor Welfare Salem Saeed Al Badi, Director of the Joint Inspection Team Department Obaid Bin Muhammad Al Balushi, Deputy Director of the International Organizations and Foreign Relations Department Nasser Salim Al Hadhrami, and Head of Foreign relations section – International Organizations and Foreign Relations Department Saif Hamood Al Raqadi and International Organizations and Foreign Relations Department of the Ministry of Labour of the Sultanate of Oman Omran Said Albaqlani.

The 4th Joint Technical Committee Meeting reviewed the decisions arrived at the 3rd Joint Technical Committee Meeting held in Colombo on 3rd July 2018.

While taking stock of the progress made after 3rd Meeting including in the streamlining of recruitment process of the Sri Lankan female domestic workers to Oman as well as preventing human traficking, both sides explored ways and means to further enhance cooperation in the field of labour and the promotion of employment in the areas of mutual interests especially in the wake of COVID-19. Both sides hailed the implementation of the issuance of No Objection Certificate (NOC) introduced by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Muscat as a prerequisite to obtain employment visa for the Sri Lankan female domestic workers, as an initiative to curb irregular and undocumented migration.

Sri Lanka side extended their sincere appreciation to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and the government of the Sultanate of Oman for the announcement of ‘amnesty’ for the Sri Lankan workers who have overstayed and with expired work permits, to return back home without paying any fines.

Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman signed an MOU in the Field of Labour and Training in 2014 with a view to promoting cooperation for the mutual benefits in the areas of labour and training.