Recruitment agents and manpower groups in Bahrain are to be briefed during a special meeting today about the new online attestation system to hire Sri Lankan workers.

Honorary Consul General P B Higgoda said this was the first time they were conducting an orientation programme for manpower groups and all parties involved in hiring Sri Lankan workers.

“We are soon launching the web-based attestation programme that will regulate recruitment of our nationals,” said Mr Higgoda.

He said the meeting will be held at Ramada Palace Hotel in Gudaibiya at 4pm. Officials from the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment and Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Agency will attend.

Mr Higgoda was yesterday speaking on the sidelines of a two-day mobile consular service held at the Sri Lanka Club. It was attended by Sri Lankan embassy officials from Kuwait.

“This online system will deal with any delay in the process and streamline the recruitment process. It will be implemented soon,” added Mr Higgoda.

The Sri Lanka Club in Manama has long been used as a venue for consular services and yesterday nationals availed of the service by submitting documents for passport renewals.

“We deal with labour related cases at the club on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.”

The mobile consular service will continue today at the Sri Lanka Club.

Meanwhile, Mr Higgoda said Colombo was in the “final stages” of approving a consulate in Bahrain for its 20,000-strong Sri Lankan community.

“The Sri Lankan cabinet is in the final stages of approving the consulate in Bahrain by this year,” he added.

Bahrain’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ghanim Al Buainain in July received newly-appointed non-resident Sri Lankan Ambassador Chandrasekara Atapattu Mudiyaselage Wijeratne, who is also Ambassador to Kuwait.

The GDN reported in May that Sri Lankans planned to launch a petition demanding an envoy in Bahrain, following claims that some were facing unnecessary obstacles in completing basic consular tasks as all matters were dealt with by the Sri Lankan Embassy in Kuwait. – Gulf Daily News