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Engineer brain drain not second to other professionals leaving the country

Published

2 years ago

2024/03/16

Thilina Walpola

Eng Sooriyabandara

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The Association of Public Service Engineers (APSE) revealed that government departments, ministries, and local government bodies currently have only 1,000 engineers in their employ. This number represents only 66 percent of the approved cadre, according to Eng. L.S. Sooriyabandara.

Eng. Sooriyabandara, a representative of the Association of Public Service Engineers (APSE), noted that the organization comprises engineers affiliated to various departments, ministries, and local government bodies.

Explaining the current trends, he said that “while the approved cadre is 1530, the current count stands at approximately 1000 engineers. A significant portion of them has either already left the country in search of greener pastures, or are on the verge of leaving.

Sooriyabandara highlighted that the process of producing a chartered engineer requires a span of eight years. During the period, from 2000 to 2020, Sri Lanka witnessed the implementation of numerous infrastructure projects, including the construction of approximately 20 large tanks, several highways, and thousands of buildings, he noted.

“We need to maintain such constructions. For example, there are over 10,000 schools and we need to maintain the buildings to ensure that our children are safe. Now engineers are not recruited because those in power believe there are no new projects. Meanwhile one third of engineers attached to the state have left,” he said.

Sooriyabandara, who serves in the Irrigation Department, emphasized their responsibility for overseeing the consistent water supply to 800,000 acres and maintaining more than 360 major tanks. He highlighted the gravity of such a responsibility and expressed concern about the challenges posed by severe staff shortages. Furthermore, he noted that a significant number of engineers are receiving inadequate compensation for their work.

Former Assistant secretary of APSE Damith Dissanayake reported a staggering 300 percent increase in the brain drain among engineers compared to 2019. He revealed that in 2023 alone, more than 5,000 engineers overall have left Sri Lanka. Among all the professionals who departed the country in 2023, approximately 40 percent were engineers, highlighting a significant trend of skilled professionals relocating.

Dissanayake said there is the high international recognition of Sri Lankan engineering degrees, noting that engineers can relocate to 123 countries without undergoing country-specific examinations. He highlighted that the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) has entered into the Washington Accord. Consequently, engineering degree programmes accredited by the IESL are recognized as equivalent to four-year engineering degree programmes by other signatories to the Washington Accord.

“If a doctor wants to migrate to Australia, he or she has to sit for two exams by the Australian Medical Council. The second exam is very difficult and about 70 percent of applicants fail. But a Sri Lankan engineer does not have to sit for such an exam. It’s easier to migrate and there are always opportunities for engineers,” he said.

Dissanayake stressed the need for the government to raise the initial salary for engineers to 300,000 rupees, a significant increase from the current 79,000 rupees. While acknowledging that this might appear as an unrealistic raise, he emphasized that the repercussions of not providing a substantial salary increment to engineers could have devastating consequences.

“Even the private sector faces a shortage of engineers. At this rate, the government will have to seek the services of foreign engineers to maintain our infrastructure,” he said.

Dissanayake said the engineers also want the government to fill the large number of vacancies that exist in the system.

“Brain drain is a big problem in Sri Lanka. I am not talking about engineers alone. You look at any sector and the best professionals are leaving. No country has developed by depleting its professionals. The government must provide a living wage to workers, give them professional dignity and in the case of the government sector, it must fill the large number of vacancies that exist. Most professionals attached to the government sector are stressed because he or she now does the work of two or three people,” he said.

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Related Topics:Association of Public Service Engineers Engineer brain drain

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Govt. extends ban on LTTE

Published

4 hours ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

The NPP government has issued a new extraordinary gazette renewing and extending Sri Lanka’s long-standing ban on the LTTE and several Tamil diaspora organisations and individuals, continuing to designate them as “terrorists”.

The gazette, published recently, replaces a previous gazette issued in May 2025 and reaffirmed the proscription of a wide range of Tamil political and advocacy bodies operating around the world, alongside dozens of named individuals. The government alleged both the organisations and individuals listed are involved in “terrorism-related activities”.

The organisations blacklisted by the Sri Lankan government include:

• Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)

• Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO)

• Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC)

• World Tamil Movement (WTM)

• Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE)

• World Tamil Relief Fund (WTRF)

• National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT)

• Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO)

While the majority of the designations mirror those contained in the May 2025 gazette, the latest document updates identification details and addresses for a number of individuals and introduces at least one additional organisation to the list. All entries have been reissued under new reference numbers for 2026, though the underlying allegations and framing remain unchanged.

Successive governemnts have maintained a sweeping proscription regime against Tamil diaspora groups and individuals. A ban can make it a criminal offence for Sri Lankan citizens to maintain contact with these organisations or their members, severely restricting political engagement and stifling links between the diaspora and the Tamil homeland.

The original mass listings were introduced in 2014 under the administration of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Despite repeated outcry, subsequent governments have continued to uphold and renew the proscription regime, even after the Rajapaksas were voted out of power.

News

Police obtain court order banning Wimal’s protest

Published

4 hours ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa addresses a gathering outside the Education Ministry on Monday before launching a protest demanding the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya as Education Minister over the inclusion of a link to an adult content website in the Grade 06 English module. (Pic by Thushara Atapattu)

Police yesterday (12) obtained an injunction order from the Kaduwela Magistrate’s court against the protest launched by National Freedom Front (NFF) leader and former Minister Wimal Weerawansa opposite the Education Ministry, Isurupaya, at Battaramulla.

Police informed Weerawansa of the court order. In line with the court order, the police informed Weerawansa that the road near the Ministry should not be obstructed and that no sound amplification equipment be used while the GCE Advanced Level (A/L) examination is in progress. The examination, put off due to Cyclone Ditwah, recommenced yesterday.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expresses optimism that Sri Lanka is on the right path to progres

Published

4 hours ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

FM Herath with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath held productive discussions with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi today (12/01), during the latter’s brief visit to Sri Lanka.

The meeting aimed at further strengthening bilateral engagement and advancing the Strategic Cooperative Partnership between the two countries. Both Ministers reaffirmed the longstanding friendship and time-tested cooperation between Sri Lanka and China rooted in centuries of exchanges and consolidated since the establishment of diplomatic relations seven decades ago. The discussion also focused on enhancing partnership in the areas of trade, investment, development cooperation and tourism.

Minister Herath extended deep appreciation to the Government and the people of China for the steadfast support extended to Sri Lanka following cyclone Ditwah and requested further support for the second phase of resettlement, relocation and rebuilding, particularly for the restoration of affected infrastructure including identified roads, railways and bridges that are vital to connectivity, economic recovery and daily lives of people. Minister Wang assured China’s fullest support for this initiative and expressed confidence that Sri Lanka will continue its rapid recovery under the leadership of President Anura Kumara Disanayaka. He also welcomed the people-centric policies of the Government and expressed optimism that Sri Lanka is on the right path toward fulfilling aspirations of its people.

Minister Herath expressed appreciation for China’s constructive role in international fora and reiterated Sri Lanka’s firm commitment to the One China Policy and China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Both Ministers also recalled the successful high level exchanges in the recent past, including visits of the President and the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka to China in 2025.