Sri Lanka moves to speed police clearances for IT-BPM workers
- Sri Lanka’s EDB and SLASSCOM asked police to speed up clearance reports.
- ICT staff need the reports for overseas clients, tenders and onboarding.
- SSP S. H. D. Jagath Chandrakumara agreed to take steps to expedite them.
- The EDB release gives no timeline or target processing time.
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA — Sri Lanka’s export promotion agency and its software industry association have asked police to issue clearance reports faster for technology workers who need them to serve foreign clients. Senior police officials agreed to take steps to speed up the process.
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) and the Sri Lanka Association for Software and Services Companies (SLASSCOM) raised the issue at a meeting with senior police officials. The discussion centered on employees who need clearance reports to meet international client requirements, take part in overseas business and qualify for international tenders.
Paperwork that holds up contracts
EDB Chairman and Chief Executive Mangala Wijesinghe highlighted the problems that delays in obtaining police clearance reports cause for information and communication technology (ICT) companies, the agency said in a news release. SLASSCOM stressed that timely reports are essential for international compliance, client onboarding and uninterrupted work on global engagements.
Senior Superintendent of Police S. H. D. Jagath Chandrakumara responded positively and agreed to take appropriate steps to expedite the procedures. The EDB said the response is expected to cut delays for companies seeking international contracts.
The release gives no timeline, target processing time or figures on how long clearances currently take.
A barrier the export board wants removed
The meeting was also attended by SLASSCOM Executive Director Chaminda De Silva and Board Director Omar Hassen, along with EDB export services officials and Chief Inspector J. D. T. M. Jayawardhana of the police. The EDB framed it as part of its work with government agencies to remove operational barriers facing Sri Lankan exporters.
The agency said the effort is meant to support the international expansion of local ICT companies and the growth of the country’s ICT and business process management (BPM) exports. It also cited the value of public-private collaboration in making the business environment more responsive, and said the work aims to strengthen coordination between institutions and make administrative processes more efficient.
What it means for buyers
Clients that require vetted staff often build background checks into onboarding, and slow clearances can delay a project’s start. Faster police reports would remove one source of friction for Sri Lankan providers bidding on foreign work.
Buyers that use background check outsourcing or IT outsourcing (ITO) partners in the country can compare firms in OA’s list of the top BPO companies in Sri Lanka.
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Disclosure: Outsource Accelerator uses AI tools in the backend of its editorial workflow. Every article is reviewed and verified by a human editor before publication.
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