Sri Lanka Sports Minister Harin Fernando has achieved a humongous success in his regime as he Signed Off ‘Specified Skill Worker MOC’ With Japan on Wednesday (June 19). The MOC between the two countries will ensure smooth and proper of sending and accepting specified skilled workers (in particular elimination of malicious intermediary organisation).
The Ministries and Agencies of Japan and the Ministry of Telecommunication, Foreign Employment and Sports of Sri Lanka signed a MOC to enhance mutual benefits through the cooperation between the two countries on sending and accepting specified skilled workers in the operation of the system of acceptance of human resources possessing certain expertise and skills, who have been granted the status of residence of “Specified Skilled Worker” by the Government of Japan.
Based on this view, the Ministries and Agencies of Japan and the Ministry of Telecommunication, Foreign Employment and Sports of Sri Lanka have decided to cooperate as follows:
1. Purpose
The purpose of this Memorandum of Cooperation is to protect specified skilled workers through the smooth and proper promotion of sending and accepting specified skilled workers to Japan from Sri Lanka, by means of establishing a basic framework for information partnership in order to ensure smooth and proper sending and accepting specified skilled workers (in particular the elimination of malicious intermediary organizations) and to resolve the problems of the sending and accepting and of residing in Japan of specified skilled workers, as well as to enhance the mutual benefits of both countries through cooperation for proper operation of the system.
2. Contact point
In order to effectively implement the cooperation under this Memorandum of Cooperation, the Ministries and Agencies of Both Countries will designate respectively the following contact points for both countries.
(1) For Japan:
ZZ Division, Agency for Immigration and Residency, Ministry of Justice
(2) For Sri Lanka:
Recruitment Division of Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, Ministry of Telecommunication, Foreign Employment and Sports.
3. Framework of cooperation
Cooperation under this Memorandum of Cooperation will be conducted within the scope of the laws and regulations in force in each country. The ministries and agencies or ministry of one country will not disclose the confidential information of the ministries and agencies or ministry of the other country, obtained through cooperation and information-sharing within the framework of this Memorandum of Cooperation, without written consent of the ministries and agencies or ministry of the other country.
4. Basic framework for information partnership
(1) Information-sharing
The Ministries and Agencies of Both Countries will promptly share necessary or useful information in order to ensure smooth and proper sending and accepting specified skilled workers and to resolve the problems of sending and acceptingand of residing in Japan of specified skilled workers. This information includes information on the acts of intermediary organizations (including both individuals and corporations) in both countries which involve in recruitment and job seeking relating to specified skilled workers and on those that fall the following:
(a) Managing money or other properties of specified skilled workersor candidates of specified skilled workers, their relatives or any person concerned, regardless of any reason such as the collection of a deposit or any other purposes;
(b) Concluding any contracts that impose monetary penalties or that expect undue transfer of money or other properties, for the violation of the contracts;
(c) Human rights in fringements against specified skilled workers and candidatessuch as assaults, intimidation and restrictions of their freedom;
(d) Using or providing forged, altered or false documents, pictures or drawings, with the intention of obtaining permissions, visas or other certificates fraudulently in relation to the immigration control or visa procedures of Japan;or
(e) Collecting fees or other expenses from specified skilled workers and candidates without indicating the calculation basis of the expense, and making them understood the amount and breakdown of the expense.
(2) Consultations for correction of problems and other issues
The Ministries and Agencies of Both Countries will consult periodically or from time to time to achieve the purpose set forth in 1 of this Memorandum of Cooperation, and will make efforts to correct problems that require improvement for proper operation of the system.
The Ministries and Agencies of Japan and the ministries in charge of accepting specified skilled workers will properly conduct skill exams and tests to measure Japanese language proficiency of the specified skilled workers.
Based on areviews of the system pertaining to specified skilled workers to be implemented two years after itscommencement, the framework of cooperation between the two countries under this Memorandum of Cooperation will be reviewed as necessary. The contents of this Memorandum of Cooperation will be modified or supplemented as necessary with written consent ofboth countries.
Benefits :
– Sri Lankan skilled workers under 14 categories (Listed in annex) which has been introduced by Japan Will guarantee employment in japan basically for a 10 years period
– Sri lanka vocation system will be upgraded to Japanese competencies standards
– Sri lanka will be listed in the japan as the 7th country of sending skilled workers
– Competent workers will be able to shift to the professional category of japan
– Industry expert on the 14 categories will visit sri lanka to scrutinize the vocational training systems
– Official endorsement of skilled workers to japan which will indirectly encourage youth to vocational training
Skilled workers
Care workers
Building cleaning management
Machine Parts and Tooling industries
Industrial Machinery Industry
Electric, Electronic and information industry
Construction Industry
Ship Building & Ship Machinery Industry
Automobile and repair maintenance
Aviation industry
Accommodation Industry
Agriculture
Fishery & Aquaculture
Manufacture of food & Beverages
Food Service Industry
