The Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Agency (SLFEA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Japanese firm METATECHNO INC. to expand placement opportunities for Sri Lankan professionals in Japan.
The SLFEA is an affiliate of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), which comes under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism. The agreement is intended to strengthen the recruitment and placement of qualified Sri Lankan professionals in the Japanese market.
METATECHNO INC. specialises in IT engineering services and job placement. Under the agreement it will work with the SLFEA to identify, recruit and place skilled Sri Lankan workers to meet Japan’s growing demand for professional talent, with the partnership expected to open openings particularly in information technology, engineering and other specialised fields.
The MoU commits both sides to legal, ethical and transparent recruitment processes, and to compliance with the labour laws, regulations and standards of both Sri Lanka and Japan — a provision that matters in a sector where Sri Lankan migrant workers have repeatedly been exposed to unlicensed agents and exploitative placement fees.
The agreement was signed by METATECHNO INC. Chairman Nakayama Hijiri and SLFEA Chairman Anandalal Hettiarachchi. LNBTI Director Ravindra Perera, SLBFE Additional General Manager (Corporate Affairs) L.A.P.K. Liyanawala and the General Manager of the SLFEA were among officials present at the ceremony.
Japan has become a priority destination in Sri Lanka’s foreign employment strategy as the government seeks to shift the migrant workforce toward higher-skilled, better-paid placements. Cabinet approved a separate memorandum on skilled labour cooperation with Japan in June.
