Mawbima website has pointed out that the “insurance scheme” introduced to insure the women of Sri Lanka who are employed as domestic workers in the Middle East has become a large-scale racket that collects billions of commissions, the Sri Lanka Emigrant Welfare Association in Kuwait has sent a letter to the Sri Lankan ambassador there. It has been reported.
Shane A.M Milhan, President of the Association, N.M., Secretary. Nirash, the letter sent to the ambassador shows that before the introduction of this insurance system, the relevant authorities in Sri Lanka have not followed any legal tender procedure properly.
It has been pointed out that the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau has introduced this insurance through a biased public broker mandating Oman based National Life & General Insurance Company SAOG for Kuwaiti employers.
A circular mandating such was sent to the manager of the Foreign Employment Bureau, D.D.P. Senanayake has been sent to registered employment agency associations.
The scheme is priced at USD 141 (KD 44) for a two-year period, and similar coverage can be purchased from top-ranked Kuwaiti insurance companies in Kuwait at USD 50 (KD 16) for a two-year period. The letter sent by the Expatriate Labor Welfare Association to the Ambassador has shown that the above mentioned insurance covers have been obtained as a fee or commission of 91 US dollars i.e. 33,750 Sri Lanka Rupees.
About this large-scale commission scheme, the chairman of the association Milhan told ‘Irida Mawbima’ that this corrupt insurance company earns nine hundred thousand US dollars in commissions per month. That amount is 330 million i.e. 33 crores in Sri Lanka Rupees.
Thus, as it is clear that this insurance system is totally prejudiced and motivated for large commission transactions, the Association requested the Embassy of Sri Lanka to look into these matters and guide the authorities to introduce a fair insurance system so that any registered insurance company recognized in Kuwait can have space. Requests
The Sri Lanka Migrant Workers Welfare Association also points out that due to this insurance system, the number of visas for Sri Lankan workers is greatly reduced.
Primarily based on Resolution No. 14120 dated May 07, 2009 issued by the Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Kuwait, the implementation of an employer-paid insurance system in Kuwait is against Kuwaiti law and since other countries have implemented insurance schemes in their countries taking into account the aforementioned Kuwaiti law. The union has pointed out that employers are deliberately avoiding hiring Sri Lankan migrant workers and that this would severely affect remittances of at least $4 million a month to Sri Lanka if exchange rates are reduced.
Copies of this letter have been sent to the President’s Secretary, the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau, the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, and the Chairman of the Registered Foreign Employment Agents Association. It has also been reported that Mavbima tried several times to contact Minister Manusha Nanayakkara on the phone to get information about this, but it failed.