- Remittance up 11.4% compared to 2023
- $ 543.9 m sent in April alone
In the first four months of this year alone, Sri Lankan migrant workers have remitted $ 2.079 billion through recognised banking systems, authorities said yesterday (12), adding that a sum of $ 543.8 million was remitted in the month of April.
“When compared with the first four months of last year, the amount of foreign remittances sent by expatriate workers in the first four months of this year has increased by 11.4%. When compared with the month of April last year, the amount of foreign remittances received by the country increased by 19.7% in April this year alone,” a statement issued by the Ministry of Labour said.
According to the statement after Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara took over the ministry, so far, $ 10,807 million have been sent to the country by foreign workers, whereas by the time he took over the ministry, the monthly amount of foreign exchange sent by expatriate workers had dropped to $ 200 million. It added that at that time, there was a shortage of essential goods such as fuel and medicines in the country and that the situation led to the breakdown of people's lives.
Accordingly, the Minister appealed to the Sri Lanka expatriate workers to increase their remittance to $ 500 million per month via the legal banking system, which is needed for the importation of essential goods needed. The Minister stated that measures such as the introduction of electric vehicle import licences for migrant workers who legally send money to the country, introduction of housing and multi-purpose loan proposals, and the introduction of a special portal for expatriate workers at the airport called ‘Hope Gate’ were done to encourage them.