Over 30,000 children under the age of 14 years are employed in shops, boutiques and majority secretly employed in the domestic sector. Apart from that sexual exploitation of children by local and foreign tourists is also found to be on the rise. Labour Commissioner Ms. Pearl Weerasinghe told The Island that employment of under-aged children had taken a dramatic turn in Sri Lanka as a large number of people had employed around 30,000 under-aged children in shops, boutiques and houses as domestic servants and helpers. The law prohibits that no person can employ children under 14 years of age, but many employers were found to be flouting the law in Sri Lanka. Under the provisions of the Employment of Women and Young Persons and Children Act No 47 of 1956, the Labour Department in collaboration with the Child Protection Authority and the police will conduct raids on errant employees and institute legal proceedings against them in order to eliminate such practices, the Labour Department said. Ms. Weerasinghe said that the Labour Department had been receiving complaints on the employment of under-aged children and had been able to make some prosecutions. In accordance with the provisions of the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children a 14-year girl or boy was a child. She said the employment of children was a hidden affair and unlike shops and boutiques the Child Protection Authority and the police were unable to locate homes which had employed children as domestic servants. Public co-operation was absolutely essential to nab scrupulous employers. It was the duty of right thinking people to inform the authorities about the employers of children. Commissioner Ms. Weerasinghe said those found guilty of employing under-aged children could be sentenced to jail terms with imposition of heavy fines.