The Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) has summoned the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security and the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration to inquire about the controversial VFS Global deal related to the new visa issuance process, which has faced criticism from many.
Taking to ‘X’, CoPF Chairman MP Harsha de Silva said that the two officials have been summoned before the Parliamentary Committee tomorrow (May 09) ‘for a balanced inquiry into the ongoing visa fiasco’.
“While it is customary for all public finance-related legislation to be routed through COPF, this strangely was not,” the MP revealed.
The newly introduced visa issuance system by global visa processing service, VFS Global and its charges were brought to the limelight after a local passenger had raised concerns over the process, with the video of the incident being widely circulated on social media.
In the video, an agitated Sri Lankan national claimed that Indian companies who had taken over visa processing at the Bandaranaike International Airport were causing delays and levying extra processing fees.
Responding to the incident and allegations, the Indian High Commission refuted reports of Indian companies taking over visa issuance at the Katunayake Airport, stating, “Any reference to India in this context is unwarranted.”
Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles, under whose purview the visa process falls, also acknowledged in Parliament this week that the decision to grant the process to global visa processing service, VFS Global was taken following Cabinet approval and that it was not processed through Parliament. (Newswire)
