Caritas Sri Lanka - SEDEC

A public discussion on the proposed Employees Pension Benefits Fund Bill was held on 13th May 2011 at the SEDEC Auditorium, chaired by Rev.Fr. George Sigamoney, National Director ,Caritas Sri Lanka - SEDEC.

Mr D P K P Weerakoon, Commissioner of Labour - Employees Provident Fund and Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa, Senior Lecturer of the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo were the resource persons who provided valuable inputs on this important subject. Mr Weerakoon compared the fund proposed by the Bill with the existing Employees Provident Fund (EPF) while Dr Mahanamahewa clarified the provisions of the Draft Bill.

The new Bill was introduced by the government in March 2011 and it proposes to establish a fund for Private Sector employees for pension benefits which  anyway had been a clamour of employees as well as employers for many years.

According to the government's view, the Bill is expected to ensure a substantial benefit for Private Sector employees after retirement, much like the one enjoyed by Public Sector employees on their retirement. The government further states that the proposed Bill for Private Sector workers would not affect the existing Provident Funds.

Many questions, however, have arisen in the minds of people who doubt the credibility of the government's pronouncements and intentions. Doubts continue to remain in the public domain about the actual benefits the proposed fund would deliver. In the meantime, the Draft Bill has also been challenged in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka under its fundamental rights jurisdiction on the grounds that the Bill infringes on the fundamental rights of employees.