The Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has raised concerns over mismanagement and irregularities at the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) following a review of the Auditor General’s reports for 2022 and 2023.

The findings were discussed at a COPE meeting on 27 February, chaired by MP Nishantha Samaraweera.

The committee pointed out that the SLFEB, originally established as a regulatory body, has been operating more like a business entity.

It was revealed that 28,165 domestic workers were sent abroad without receiving the required residential training, leading to a loss of Rs. 631 million in training revenue.

Instead of the mandated 28-day residential programme, around 390 individuals were only interviewed daily through video recordings and interpreters, resulting in 683 minors being sent abroad for domestic service between May 2023 and June 2024.

Further irregularities were noted in expenditure on promotional events, including overpriced stall rentals in Galle and Jaffna and an Rs. 1.2 billion expenditure on the Jayagamu Sri Lanka programme, which officials claimed followed proper procedures.

However, since the amount exceeded Rs. 500 million, COPE has requested a review by the Auditor General’s Department to ensure compliance with cabinet approval requirements.

COPE also criticised the approval given to send domestic workers abroad on tourist visas, calling it a gross dereliction of duty. A total of 4,942 workers were sent to the UAE and Oman without proper agreements, many of whom were not registered in the embassy's database.

The committee has now decided to appoint a COPE sub-committee to conduct a deeper investigation into the SLFEB’s financial and operational practices.