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Lankan Salaries


carboy2011

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I'm also curious how the current IT talent market is. I see most of the jobs posted don't have a salary range. Is there a local equivalent of something like payscale.com or glassdoor.com?

I wouldn't mind being based in the US for a Sri Lankan company if they pay good.

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Well..I moved back about 1 year ago and was job hunting....then decided to go start my own thing at which point i started getting job offers....go figure...once my company was up and running a company asked me to work/consult for them on a part-time basis; which ironically seems to be double time :D

At face value the salaries are really not that much and cannot be compared to what you would make outside of the country. However, they are not bad in a local context...if you are at the beginning of your career or at the ending peak then you can score something pretty decent. If you are coming in at a mid point of your career then certain aspects would make you somewhat frustrated. Also, I noticed that there are a lot of returning SL who are quite big headed and kind of giv returning SLs a bad rep when it comes to job hunting.

Ironically with most of the offers I got my allowances (vehicle, fuel, housing, communication, etc...) were greater than the salary I was offered on paper. Plus when on international assignment they usually offered an average COLA plus a % pay hike for the duration of the project.

At the end of the day it is somewhat hard to pin point and fit returning expats in to the local salary brackets. It all depends on how the company would rank the value addition you are bringing in and things like the profile of the company etc...


At the time I was looking, the demand was for SW engineers, so being an Infrastructure (engineering and management) and a governance/compliance person...it was a bit harder to find a right fit for myself (most of the time all my interviews ended up with...so can you write code in <insert language of your choice>). I doubt things would have changed that much since now and then.

The best way to find out is try to talk with SLs who have resettled. There is a group called WorkInSriLanka....it is a non-profit group that links these people together. It was quite helpful for me in tracking down leads and getting an understanding of the local landscape.

If you really want to know about salaries..SLASSCOM does an annual salary survey of the ICT industry with PwC. Unlike PwC's annual salary survey reports in countries like SG and HK...this one SLASSCOM sells for LKR250,000. If you know any people at PwC Sri Lanka you can just ask them...

It is frustrating to work here...and I have worked in some $h!t hole places. Corporate ethics are somewhat questionable (I take that back..highly questionable)..but at the end of the day you do find some gems in the rough as well and some of them take you in and try to show you that you should be with them for a long long time.

I am Hoonigan can shed some light on the matter too.

Edited by iRage
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Any impact from ETCA ??

I got a chance to read the Indian proposals to the ETCA. Sri Lankan proposals are being done and these will be made available sometime in June-July. If the ETCA come to fruition, it'll take about 2 years to be implemented. The whole thing will not happen overnight.

As for the mass hysteria against ETCA, I don't think it's well footed. I hire IT professionals quite regularly and I can't think of a good reason why I want to hire Indian IT guys even if the ETCA comes together. Resettlement cost, hiring logistics issues, cultural and contextual issues are going to be tough to overcome. Plus, even if we hire some Indian IT guys, we'll have to give them good salaries that enables them to manage their lifestyles here in Sri Lanka and send some money home if applicable.

In a situation like that, we will be competing with companies in Singapore, US, Australia and companies like Facebook, Google and pletheora of others who have Indian offices. It's a classic case of throwing peanuts and getting monkeys.

As for me, I'd rather hire some Sri Lankan guys and mock the Indians while watching a cricket match chugging some beers.

Edited by Sierra Charlie
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I got a chance to read the Indian proposals to the ETCA. Sri Lankan proposals are being done and these will be made available sometime in June-July. If the ETCA come to fruition, it'll take about 2 years to be implemented. The whole thing will not happen overnight.

As for the mass hysteria against ETCA, I don't think it's well footed. I hire IT professionals quite regularly and I can't think of a good reason why I want to hire Indian IT guys even if the ETCA comes together. Resettlement cost, hiring logistics issues, cultural and contextual issues are going to be tough to overcome. Plus, even if we hire some Indian IT guys, we'll have to give them good salaries that enables them to manage their lifestyles here in Sri Lanka and send some money home if applicable.

In a situation like that, we will be competing with companies in Singapore, US, Australia and companies like Facebook, Google and pletheora of others who have Indian offices. It's a classic case of throwing peanuts and getting monkeys.

As for me, I'd rather hire some Sri Lankan guys and mock the Indians while watching a cricket match chugging some beers.

Where did you read the indian proposal ? What are the main points ?

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Where did you read the indian proposal ? What are the main points ?

If I'm to be literal, I read the proposal on my screen. ;) I'm sorry but I can't tell you from where I got it.

The proposal reads quite similar to this. But different, obviously. I found the trade negative lists to be concerning. Go here. (Indian list, page 47 / Sri Lankan list, Page 57)

As of now, it's too early to say anything. Most people are just seeing storms in their tea cups, especially when it comes to the service aspect of the agreement.

Having said that, I really don't see why the Government want to withhold information since it just feeds the trolls to cause havoc among the non-critical thinkers.

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Thanks all for the info,im in mid career and with some of the companies I spoke to last year werent too good,One wanted me to work on site in Boston,but wanted me to sign a bond,I said NO WAY,why should I sign a bond to work and do their job,it might have worked for a rooie who has never stepped out of SL but I was going to be a returning expat (if successful with the job)

Another place said ah we are looking a manager who is in his/her 20's !

SLASCOMM survey book is a bit expensive and I dont know anyone at PWC either

Also what is the scope for payments domain in SL like contactless payments and bank aquirer certifications ,as thats my area

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Thanks all for the info,im in mid career and with some of the companies I spoke to last year werent too good,One wanted me to work on site in Boston,but wanted me to sign a bond,I said NO WAY,why should I sign a bond to work and do their job,it might have worked for a rooie who has never stepped out of SL but I was going to be a returning expat (if successful with the job)

Another place said ah we are looking a manager who is in his/her 20's !

SLASCOMM survey book is a bit expensive and I dont know anyone at PWC either

Also what is the scope for payments domain in SL like contactless payments and bank aquirer certifications ,as thats my area

Quite a few companies do that when they send their SL staff on long term projects. They are afraid that after finishing or mid way though the project their staff will bail ship and go work for a different company in the country he/she is being sent to. Some of these large companies operate like a sweat shop and it is well known that youngsters join this company for experience and as a stepping stone as they do have a large portfolio of clients across the globe (no their campus is not around Malabe).

What most companies do NOT understand is that it (the bonding scenario) really doesn't apply for most SL expats who are actually living abroad. Some of the larger companies are actually sensible when it comes to this....

No idea about your area....I do what I do mainly in the health sector. However, I see the financial sector coming out of the dark ages and doing some pretty nifty stuff...so there might be some decent opportunities for you ?

Again....you can never compare dollar to dollar value. You need to understand that you can get a decent pay in SL standards and there a lot of life style changes pertaining to your family life that compensates for the number of zeros that get cut out of your pay.

Whether it is worth for you to come back all depends on how you value certain aspects of your life.

Edited by iRage
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Quite a few companies do that when they send their SL staff on long term projects. They are afraid that after finishing or mid way though the project their staff will bail ship and go work for a different company in the country he/she is being sent to. Some of these large companies operate like a sweat shop and it is well known that youngsters join this company for experience and as a stepping stone as they do have a large portfolio of clients across the globe (no their campus is not around Malabe).

What most companies do NOT understand is that it (the bonding scenario) really doesn't apply for most SL expats who are actually living abroad. Some of the larger companies are actually sensible when it comes to this....

No idea about your area....I do what I do mainly in the health sector. However, I see the financial sector coming out of the dark ages and doing some pretty nifty stuff...so there might be some decent opportunities for you ?

Again....you can never compare dollar to dollar value. You need to understand that you can get a decent pay in SL standards and there a lot of life style changes pertaining to your family life that compensates for the number of zeros that get cut out of your pay.

Whether it is worth for you to come back all depends on how you value certain aspects of your life.

Thanks mate for your info,do PM me if you come across anything interesting

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Given the sheer number of multinational companies with outsourcing staff in India,sadly I would say they are way ahead of us. It is weird that the opposition to ETCA is coming mainly from government professionals(and yeah,doctors!) who know much less about how private sector has globalized in the past decades and how less red tape benefits efficiency and productivity.

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Don't know why government start ETCA with IT field which is a border less one.

Dear IT experts,

Do we really need ETCA (or any FTA) for IT?

Here's the thing. Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are a good thing, hands down. If you want an example, look no further than than the European Union. It's an economic union turning out to be more like a Political Union. What most people are looking at on the ETCA is the service aspect. What all of them are not talking about is the trade aspect which is also quite important.

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I have met many German businessmen interested in expanding to India/South Asian market. But they don't like to live /work in India. Actually they prefer Sri Lanka because of better climate /living conditions and more open minded people.for situations like this,fta with India will bring more business to SL. Same as how UK benefits from multinational companies which flocked in(dye to languege),after they signed a fta with EU.

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I have met many German businessmen interested in expanding to India/South Asian market. But they don't like to live /work in India. Actually they prefer Sri Lanka because of better climate /living conditions and more open minded people.for situations like this,fta with India will bring more business to SL.

If German businessmen like to live SL than India and and Sri Lankan people, why do we need FTA with India?

1. Do they need FTA to sell their product to Indian market??

2. Or do they need to employ Indian IT people here? In such case, don't we have enough IT guys ??

3. Why IT professionals (including University teachers and businessmen) opposing ETCA?

I think there are several hidden matters under the issue.

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Yes 1.is the answer.

Sri Lanka is a very small market.

So if they make a big investment(ex:car factory),they want to access the big India market without tax ,visa barriers.

2. You are thinking over-protectively,Indians still prefer to work in their country(close to relatives,religion,culture etc).only those who fail to find work in India will want to come here,and they will also fail the interviews of SL companies (or is SL level lower than Indian companies?)

Just google how many foreign firms have European head offices in Uk,due to English language and EU free trade access.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/204004/UK_European_Headquarters_Brochure.pdf

43%!!

But the staff is mostly British, not French or German.

Edited by RViji
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If German businessmen like to live SL than India and and Sri Lankan people, why do we need FTA with India?

1. Do they need FTA to sell their product to Indian market??

2. Or do they need to employ Indian IT people here? In such case, don't we have enough IT guys ??

3. Why IT professionals (including University teachers and businessmen) opposing ETCA?

I think there are several hidden matters under the issue.

Interesting case. ISFTA has been in effect since 2000 or so. Most of the Sri Lankan companies don't even know about the ISFTA and what's included in it. But there's a Chinese company in Warakapola that makes CFL bulbs to be sold in India. Do you imagine India will ever let a Chinese company to come directly to India and sell stuff like that?

A Sri Lankan guy owns 51% of that bulb company since that's the law in Sri Lanka. Imagine what sort of impact a fully fledged FTA like the ETCA can bring in?

Plus, Sri Lanka has better relationships with regional countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh (arguable, I know.) than they do with India. All told, India+Sri Lanka+Pakistan+Bangladesh is home to about 2 Billion people. Imagine the sort of trade we can do if we have proper bi-lateral FTAs with these 3 countries? We can bring in droves of FDI that most Sri Lankans complain but do nothing about.

I'm not going to talk about #2. It's just a waste of time and RViji nailed it in his answer.

Most people in Sri Lanka are against the ETCA because they don't know what it is. That's the problem with the Government. If the ETCA is freely available to read, then most people who are against it won't even give two hoots about it.

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Most people in Sri Lanka are against the ETCA because they don't know what it is. That's the problem with the Government. If the ETCA is freely available to read, then most people who are against it won't even give two hoots about it.

I dont blame either government for this. This isnt as simple as selling onions or potatoes. Its a complex agreement which will have a LOT of sensitive areas where both parties have to give and take. The deal is currently in that stage, hence neither government can show their people "here this is the deal we're gonna get into with our neighbor!"..... Besides, there's no point in the public seeing a draft when it's most definitely going to be obsolete when the officials meet for the next negotiation meeting.

Once it's agreed upon i'm certain that it will be publicly available. So rather than get wound up by some selfish politicans' fear mongering, let's be patient.

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I dont blame either government for this. This isnt as simple as selling onions or potatoes. Its a complex agreement which will have a LOT of sensitive areas where both parties have to give and take. The deal is currently in that stage, hence neither government can show their people "here this is the deal we're gonna get into with our neighbor!"..... Besides, there's no point in the public seeing a draft when it's most definitely going to be obsolete when the officials meet for the next negotiation meeting.

Once it's agreed upon i'm certain that it will be publicly available. So rather than get wound up by some selfish politicans' fear mongering, let's be patient.

IMO, people have no trust about the GoSL (not only for this gov, but previous govs' too) whether the government is doing this for the development of the country or for their other personal gain by the past experiences they have. Sri Lankans are thinking Indian government is more careful about their country/nation than GoSL. This should be the main reason behind the oppose.

On the other hand, GoSL have not properly convinced the people even by giving basic idea about how they are planing to do something by ETCA rather than telling "we are giving one million jobs". No preliminary plan, no data, no any study, etc. Even the bloody politicians cannot give proper answer. Only 2 or 3 people working behind this.

If GoSL give the expected outcomes by this project, people will not oppose.

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IMO, people have no trust about the GoSL (not only for this gov, but previous govs' too) whether the government is doing this for the development of the country or for their other personal gain by the past experiences they have. Sri Lankans are thinking Indian government is more careful about their country/nation than GoSL. This should be the main reason behind the oppose.

On the other hand, GoSL have not properly convinced the people even by giving basic idea about how they are planing to do something by ETCA rather than telling "we are giving one million jobs". No preliminary plan, no data, no any study, etc. Even the bloody politicians cannot give proper answer. Only 2 or 3 people working behind this.

If GoSL give the expected outcomes by this project, people will not oppose.

I agree that the government (and the civil service in general) have little or no procedures/processes on public relations and gathering feedback etc. I myself don't know what the hell a ETCA is or why its needed (not that I ever bothered to find out either). I know there are loads of Sri Lankans working in India and visa versa. So if all these chapathi IT guys want our IT jobs, there's nothing stopping them applying and getting the job and immigration clearance even now.

edit: I do think they did some study by consulting industry experts on the terms related to their fields. This is the "version" that a certain passport-wansa got from the GMOA and was barking about at one point, when the government clearly said that there has been no agreement entered into.

Edited by Watchman
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Yesterday news,

"According to the records, there are 1200 kidney donations (dont know whether actually there are donations or nor) done by Indians in Sri Lankan private hospitals. All operations have done according to the Sri Lankan law with relevant approvals. The only issue is, those persons have violated immigration rules."

Which means, though the medical system in Sri Lanka performing somewhat acceptable level, still our authorities have no proper immigration controls. Without proper immigration controls, what could we expected after signing ETCA?

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Do you know what the "immigration rule violation" is? I'm sure they didnt sneak into SL on a boat. My guess is, they came on a tourist visa when they should have come on some sort of medical-need visa. I think these 'donations' are the questionable type and since they cant be caught red-handed, the authorities are running a fine-tooth comb to nab them on a technicality.


I am actually on the fence on sellingdonating organs. For those in some economic slums its better to feed their family and live with 1 kidney rather than watch your family suffer and die with 2 kidneys. There are counties like Iran where organ selling is done in legitimate and regulated ways, which IMO isn't too bad.

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Looks like some playing Baba part and trying to defend the corrupt doctors who were part of this kidney mafia,otherwise what moron would bring it up on a thread about Lankan salaries? This donation story was the statement of the defendant lawyer,which was counteracted by police with proof that even if these people have"donated",the middlemen SOLD them to the patients,making a lot of money illegally.and sadly some indian educated lankan doctor close to Padeniya,and some other influential doctors are also found to be part of this middlemen according to investigations.

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