Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra has drawn a sharp distinction between official and personal foreign travel by public officials, stressing that state funds must never be used for private purposes.
Issuing a statement, Hemachandra said there are only two categories of travel for those holding office: official visits undertaken in service of the country, and personal trips that must be fully self-financed. “There is no such thing as semi-official or partial official. When state funds are used, they are used for the State – not for personal comfort,” he noted.
Referring to the controversy surrounding former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent trip to the University of Wolverhampton, the deputy minister said the event was a private academic function, not a state duty. He alleged that public money had been misused on the visit, “lavishly, even with a personal butler,” betraying the people’s trust.
By contrast, Hemachandra highlighted his own record since assuming office, listing four official trips undertaken to Bangkok, Berlin, Seoul, and Kunming. He said that in each case, Sri Lankan missions organised additional events to maximise benefits in diplomacy, trade, tourism, and foreign employment.
He added that he had travelled with minimal delegations to reduce costs and had returned all unutilised funds to the ministry. From his allocation of USD 2,152 and EUR 1,232.49 — about LKR 1.04 million — the entire balance was handed back, he said.
“This is not only my practice,” Hemachandra stressed, adding that the President, Prime Minister, ministers, and MPs of the NPP government also return unutilised funds from foreign travel.
“We do not travel to indulge in luxury. We travel to serve the country, to raise our voice on the international stage, and to bring back opportunities for our people. Public money is not for luxury – it is for the people,” he said.
