Caritas Sri Lanka held a meeting for civil rights activists about a controversial proposed government pension scheme for the private sector on May 13. Many of around six million employees in the private sector expressed suspicion that the government was trying to deny workers Employees Provident Fund (EPF) benefits by introducing the proposed scheme. Caritas Sri Lanka invited more than 50 activists, including NGOs, labor unions and Caritas Sri Lanka staff to discuss ‘Private Sector Pension Scheme-Who is benefiting?’ “The new Bill looks to establish a fund for private sector employees for pension benefits that the employees as well as the employers have been clamoring for for years,” said Father George Sigamoney, the national director of Caritas, in his welcome speech. Father Reid Shelton Fernando of Colombo archdiocese and right activists pointed out that the failure of the government proposed Farmers’ Pension Scheme some years ago. What will happen to the proposed Private Sector Pension Scheme now?” he questioned. SR14241