Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader, MP Rauff Hakeem, has called for the forensic report by the Auditor General on the controversial VFS e-visa deal to be submitted to Parliament. 

Addressing the Parliament, MP Hakeem said that the report by the Committee on Public Finance had mentioned that the Auditor General must submit a forensic audit on the loss that was to be incurred by the government due to this e-visa deal. 

MP Hakeem pointed out that the delay by the said officials to implement the Supreme Court order and the 16-year contract with a dubious company would have caused the government to lose almost US$ 3.4 billion in revenue. 

“The contract had been given to a dubious company registered in Dubai, using a company such as VFS Global as a front. The main matter is up for argument on 20th November, and we are yet to receive the forensic audit report by the Auditor General,” he said. 

He made the remarks in connection with the Supreme Court’s order yesterday to sentence former Controller General of Immigration & Emigration Harsha Illukpitiya to two years of imprisonment on contempt of court charges for failing to execute a court order tied to the controversial VFS e-visa deal.

The verdict was issued after taking up for consideration the petitions that had been filed by former ministers Rauff Hakeem and Patali Champika Ranawaka, along with former MP Sumanthiran.

Harsha Ilukpitiya has been in remand custody since September last year after the Supreme Court ordered him to be remanded for failing to implement the Court’s order regarding the controversial visa issuance system by the global visa processing service, VFS Global.

A probe launched by the Committee on Public Finance also found that VFS Global had been selected without calling for official bids, resulting in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance.

In August last year, the Supreme Court issued an Interim Order temporarily halting the Cabinet’s decision to outsource its visa application process to GBS Technology Services & IVS Global- FZCO, a VFS VF Worldwide Holdings LTD-led consortium.

The court ordered the reinstatement of the previous quick Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) process, which the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, Harsha Ilukpitiya, failed to comply with, resulting in his arrest. (Newswire)

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The Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, Harsha Illukpitiya, who has been in remand custody for over 10 months, on Tuesday unconditionally apologized to the Supreme Court after being charged with contempt for failing to execute a court order tied to the controversial VFS e-visa deal.

The Supreme Court has scheduled his sentencing for July 24.

Illukpitiya admitted to disregarding the court’s directive, a central issue in ongoing legal proceedings concerning the e-visa contract that has drawn widespread criticism over alleged corruption and irregularities.

The petition was filed by former ministers Rauff Hakeem and Patali Champika Ranawaka, along with former MP Sumanthiran, who collectively condemned the failure to uphold judicial authority. Hakeem emphasized that state officials must comply with court orders, stating that objections should be pursued only after execution.

Former minister Patali Champika Ranawaka expressed deeper concerns about the e-visa agreement, claiming it had been in effect since 2023 and had caused a financial loss of approximately Rs. 3.71 billion to the state. He argued that contempt of court was only a symptom of a larger fraudulent scheme.

Ranawaka also questioned why a forensic audit into the visa deal, which Parliament called for on July 12, 2024, has yet to be made public. He suggested the delay signals an attempt by the current administration, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, to protect those allegedly involved.

The former minister previously voiced concern over President Dissanayake’s close ties with former Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, who is believed to have played a key role in the e-visa contract.

Ranawaka urged the public to demand full transparency and remain vigilant against what he described as continued efforts to conceal corruption.

Harsha Ilukpitiya has been in remand custody since September after the Supreme Court ordered him to be remanded for failing to implement the Court’s order regarding the controversial visa issuance system by the global visa processing service, VFS Global.

The visa issuance system by VFS Global and its charges came under the spotlight after a local passenger had raised concerns over the process, with the video of the incident widely circulated on social media.

A probe launched by the Committee on Public Finance also found that VFS Global had been selected without calling for official bids and had resulted in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance.

In August last year, the Supreme Court issued an Interim Order temporarily halting the Cabinet’s decision to outsource its visa application process to GBS Technology Services & IVS Global- FZCO, a VFS VF Worldwide Holdings LTD-led consortium.

The court ordered the reinstatement of the previous quick Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) process, which the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, Harsha Ilukpitiya, failed to comply with, resulting in his arrest. (Newswire)

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Samagi Jana Sandhanaya Presidential candidate MP Sajith Premadasa vows to annul the “corrupt VFS visa agreement signed by the current government”.

According to MP Premadasa’s election manifesto launched yesterday, a new modern system will be established to allow foreign tourists to obtain visas easily at a lower cost.

Additionally, steps will also be taken to ensure accountability for this transaction, which is considered the largest corruption case in Sri Lanka. 

The election manifesto further states that a Samagi Jana Sandhanaya government will implement a visa-free entry programme for citizens of 100 countries.

Under the programme, tourists will be allowed to visit Sri Lanka for up to one month without the need for a pre-arrival visa.

The proposal addresses the problems faced due to the current visa issuance process at the Katunayake Airport.

The new visa issuance system by global visa processing service, VFS Global and its charges came under the spotlight after a local passenger had raised concerns over the process, with the video of the incident being widely circulated on social media.

A probe launched by the Committee on Public Finance also found that VFS Global had been picked without calling for official bids and had resulted in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance.

In July this year, three petitions were filed at the Supreme Court against Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles and the government against the VFS visa procedure. Opposition MPs Patali Champika Ranawaka, M.A. Sumanthiran, and Rauff Hakeem filed the three petitions. 

Recently addressing the media, the three MPs who are members of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) had also raised concerns over the involvement of a bank account in Dubai concerning the income received via the visa application process operated by VFS Global at the Katunayake Airport.

Briefing the media on the petition filed at the Supreme Court, together with CoPF members Rauff Hakeem and M.A. Sumanthiran against the VFS visa deal, MP Patali Champika Ranawaka alleged that the income of VFS Global was being transferred to an account in Dubai.

MP Ranawaka further said that it had been found that the money was being deposited from the Dubai account to the Sri Lanka Immigration Department’s account only after one week.

The lack of a proper visa issuance system has severely inconvenienced tourists visiting Sri Lanka, with long queues regularly reported at the visa counters at the Katunayake Airport. (Newswire)

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Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) member Patali Champika Ranawaka has raised concerns over the involvement of a bank account in Dubai concerning the income received via the visa application process operated by VFS Global at the Katunayake Airport.

Briefing the media on the petition filed at the Supreme Court, together with CoPF members Rauff Hakeem and M.A. Sumanthiran against the VFS visa deal, MP Ranawaka alleged that the income of VFS Global was being transferred to an account in Dubai.

MP Ranawaka further said that it had been found that the money was being deposited from the Dubai account to the Sri Lanka Immigration Department’s account only after a period of one week.

“VFS Global charges US$ 25.77 per tourist. However, it charges less than US$ 4 in Brazil. Therefore, where does the remainder of the money go? It has been found that the money goes to an account in Dubai and after a week is deposited to Sri Lanka Immigration’s account. 

“The account holders can invest this money within that week. Whose account is this? Where does the money go from that account? Where is this GBS institute located?” he questioned. 

MP Ranawaka further said that they had also presented facts in the court that the ministry has not made any correct identification about the background of this institution.

He alleged that the relevant ministry officials have not taken steps to investigate these concerns and have not even conducted a probe into where the VFS institutions are located. 

In July, three petitions were filed at the Supreme Court against Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles and the government against the VFS visa procedure introduced at the Katunayake Airport. Opposition MPs Patali Champika Ranawaka, M.A. Sumanthiran, and Rauff Hakeem filed the three petitions. 

In their petitions, they called on the court to issue an order suspending the visa system as there was a potential threat of the breach of vital security data from the nation.

The new visa issuance system by global visa processing service, VFS Global and its charges came under the spotlight after a local passenger had raised concerns over the process, with the video of the incident being widely circulated on social media.

A probe launched by the Committee on Public Finance also found that VFS Global had been picked without calling for official bids and had resulted in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance. (Newswire)

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Despite the Supreme Court ruling, the visa and immigration process remains crippled by the dark interventions of rogue politicians, MP Patali Champika Ranawaka has alleged.

Taking to ‘X’, MP Ranawaka revealed that state-owned Mobitel was willing to provide its services for visa issuance.

“Mobitel stands ready to resume operations, but the Immigration Controller is under oppressive control,” the MP further said. 

His remarks come after the Supreme Court issued an Interim Order in August, temporarily halting the Cabinet’s decision to outsource its visa application process to GBS Technology Services & IVS Global- FZCO, VFS VF Worldwide Holdings LTD led consortium.

Announcing that this suspension will remain in effect until the petitions filed against the decision are finally resolved, the court also issued an interim injunction on the implementation of the agreements with the two foreign entities.

Several fundamental rights petitions were filed in the Supreme Court calling for action against the procedural violations and abuse of public trust by officials in the procurement of private entities to handle the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system for the issuance of visas for tourists visiting Sri Lanka.

The visa issuance system by global visa processing service, VFS Global and its charges came under the spotlight after a local passenger had raised concerns over the process, with the video of the incident being widely circulated on social media.

A probe launched by the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) also found that VFS Global had been picked without calling for official bids and had resulted in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance.

“If competitive bids were called for then the government could have obtained the services for a fee less than US$ 25,” CoPF Chairman MP Harsha de Silva said, presenting the CoPF report in Parliament recently. 

Stating that local firm Mobitel had also in the past offered to provide some service for US$1, MP de Silva said however, no specifications had been issued on the criteria for the visa issuance service amidst which VFS Global had been selected. 

He said the CoPF is of the view that if specification documents had been available then, not only Mobitel but other overseas firms would also have had an opportunity to engage in competitive bidding for the visa issuance service in Sri Lanka, adding that an issue has arisen as to why the selection of firms had been conducted without a specification document. (Newswire)

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Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 30) calling for action against the procedural violations and abuse of public trust by officials in the procurement of private entities to handle the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system for the issuance of visas for tourists visiting Sri Lanka. 

Issuing a statement, TISL said this matter was filed in the public interest, considering the lack of transparency and non-adherence to guidelines in the decision-making and procurement processes that impact the tourism industry, the national economy and national security. 

The Petitioners argue that the fundamental rights of the citizens to equality and the right to information, as guaranteed under the Constitution under Articles 12(1) and 14A, have been violated through the actions and inactions of the respondents.

Among the respondents named in the petition are the Minister of Public Security, the Controller General of Immigration, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, GBS Technology Services & IVS Global- FZCO, VFS VF Worldwide Holdings LTD, the Cabinet of Sri Lanka and the Attorney General. 

The petition lists several key issues that have led to the current concerns:

1. The improper and irregular selection of private entities as authorized representatives for issuing visas.
2. Entering into agreements with private parties in a manner that could lead to severe financial losses and damage to the tourism sector.
3. An incident at the Bandaranaike International Airport in May 2024 highlighted the problematic appointment of private entities for visa processing.
4. The existing partnership with Mobitel (Pvt) Limited from 2012 ran smoothly without an occurrence of major breakdowns, negative publicity, data breaches or other complaints.
5. Mobitel (Pvt) Limited tendering proposals for the improvement of the ETA system in August 2023 with no cost to the government.
6. Mobitel (Pvt) Limited tendering a proposal to provide the ETA platform services for USD 1 per application, in stark contrast to the USD 18.50 charged by GBS Technology Services & IVS Global- FZCO and VFS VF Worldwide Holdings LTD. 

According to TISL, the petition calls for the respondents to be held accountable for their illegal, arbitrary, and unreasonable acts or omissions in the procurement process. 

The new visa issuance system by global visa processing service, VFS Global and its charges came under the spotlight after a local passenger had raised concerns over the process, with the video of the incident being widely circulated on social media.

A probe launched by the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) also found that VFS Global had been selected without calling for official bids.

The CoPF report presented in Parliament also reveals that this move had resulted in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance. (Newswire)

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Three petitions have been filed at the Supreme Court against Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles and the government against the VFS visa procedure introduced at the Katunayake Airport.

Opposition MPs Patali Champika Ranawaka, M.A. Sumanthiran, and Rauff Hakeem have filed the three petitions. 

The petitioners have called on the court to issue an order suspending the visa system as there was a potential threat of the breach of vital security data from the nation.

“I moved the Supreme Court against Minister of Public Security, @TiranAlles  and the Government for allegedly aiding and perpetrating a multi-billion dollar scam involving the IVS visa procedure,” MP Champika Ranawaka said in a post on ‘X’. 

Also speaking to the media today, MP Champika Ranawaka said a decision had been taken to file the said petition taking into consideration that they were members of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (CoPF).

Meanwhile, MP Rauff Hakeem told the media that the VFS visa deal was considered a scam which is 10-fold worse than the Central Bank bond scam. 

The new visa issuance system by global visa processing service, VFS Global and its charges came under the spotlight after a local passenger had raised concerns over the process, with the video of the incident being widely circulated on social media.

A probe launched by the Committee on Public Finance also found that VFS Global had been picked without calling for official bids and had resulted in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance.

“If competitive bids were called for then the government could have obtained the services for a fee less than US$ 25,” CoPF Chairman MP Harsha de Silva said, presenting the CoPF report in Parliament recently. 

Stating that local firm Mobitel had also in the past offered to provide some service for US$1, MP de Silva said however, no specifications had been issued on the criteria for the visa issuance service amidst which VFS Global had been selected. 

He said the CoPF is of the view that if specification documents had been available then, not only Mobitel but other overseas firms would also have had an opportunity to engage in competitive bidding for the visa issuance service in Sri Lanka, adding that an issue has arisen as to why the selection of firms had been conducted without a specification document. (Newswire)

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Opposition MP Harsha de Silva says attempts are being made to imprison him, over claims that he misled Parliament. 

MP Harsha de Silva said that he refutes all allegations levelled against him concerning the report of the Parliament Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) on the online visa issuance for tourists which was presented to Parliament recently.

Addressing Parliament today, the CoPF Chairman said these were major accusations, which he categorically denies, and that these were attempts to imprison him by claiming that he had misled Parliament. 

“Please provide me with what I presented. I will analyze them. This isn’t the first occasion on which I have been removed. I am not afraid to be imprisoned,” he added.

MP Harsha de Silva made the remarks in response to a statement made by State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe, who claimed that the CoPF Chairman had presented the report, despite several of the committee members having rejected it. 

State Minister Shehan Semasinghe further said that the actions of the CoPF Chairman had violated the Parliamentary privileges of fellow CoPF members.

He also called on the Speaker to refer the matter to the Parliamentary Committee on Ethics and Privileges, as the CoPF report was misleading and contained inaccurate information. 

Earlier in July, presenting the report to Parliament, MP Harsha de Silva revealed that investigations into the visa issue linked to VFS Global have identified that the prime contractor was not VFS Global as claimed but GBS Technology Services and IVS Global FZCO, but all the companies have signed an agreement to carry out visa issuance. 

MP de Silva further said the CoPF report has found that VFS Global had been picked without calling for official bids and had resulted in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance. 

“If competitive bids were called for then the government could have obtained the services for a fee less than US$ 25,” he said. 

Stating that local firm Mobitel had also in the past offered to provide some service for US$1, MP de Silva said however, no specifications had been issued on the criteria for the visa issuance service amidst which VFS Global had been selected. 

At the time, he said the CoPF was of the view that if specification documents had been available then, not only Mobitel but other overseas firms would also have had an opportunity to engage in competitive bidding for the visa issuance service in Sri Lanka. 

The Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) had launched a probe after the visa issuance system by VFS Global and its charges were brought to the limelight by a local passenger who had raised concerns over the process. (Newswire)

Attempts are being made to imprison me, stating that I have committed an act that warrants imprisonment. This is a major accusation. I categorically deny all allegations leveled against me, both collectively and separately. If attempts are being made to imprison me by saying that… pic.twitter.com/7sfRg31ZJm

— Manthri.LK_Watch (@ManthriLK_Watch) July 23, 2024

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Investigations by the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) into the visa issue linked to VFS Global have identified that the prime contractor for visa issuance was not the said firm but GBS Technology Services and IVS Global FZCO, CoPF Chairman Harsha de Silva said. 

Presenting the CoPF probe report in Parliament today, MP Harsha de Silva explained that VF Worldwide Holdings, which is commonly known as VFS, was part of GBS Technology Services and IVS Global FZCO.

He said investigations have revealed that the prime contractor is not VFS Global as claimed but GBS Technology Services and IVS Global FZCO, but all the companies have signed an agreement to carry out visa issuance. 

MP de Silva said the CoPF report has found that VFS Global had been picked without calling for official bids and had resulted in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance.

“If competitive bids were called for then the government could have obtained the services for a fee less than US$ 25,” he said. 

Stating that local firm Mobitel had also in the past offered to provide some service for US$1, MP de Silva said however, no specifications had been issued on the criteria for the visa issuance service amidst which VFS Global had been selected. 

He said the CoPF is of the view that if specification documents had been available then, not only Mobitel but other overseas firms would also have had an opportunity to engage in competitive bidding for the visa issuance service in Sri Lanka. 

The CoPF Chairman said an issue has arisen as to why the selection of firms had been conducted without a specification document. 

Commenting on the incident of data breach related to VFS Global, which was brought to light by an international YouTube travel vlogger, MP Harsha de Silva said investigations are ongoing into the matter.

He said Immigration Officials had informed CoPF that a set of dummy data had been accidentally sent to the international YouTube travel vlogger. 

The CoPF Chairman emphasized that data protection was essential when providing such services and is important for national security. 

MP Harsha de Silva added that the CoPF investigations have also found that the agreement on the visa issuance process does not mention an investment of US$ 200 million or Rs. 200 million as claimed by the authorities, confirming that no such investment has been made as yet. 

The Committee on Public Finance launched a probe after 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 at the time 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)

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Opposition MP Dr. Harsha de Silva says he will work to secure democracy to the best of his ability, in response to the remarks surrounding his recent statement concerning the probe into the VFS visa deal.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP made the statement responding to remarks over his recent statement in Parliament regarding the Committee on Public Finance’s (CoPF) probe into the visa matter. 

Last week, MP de Silva, who is also the Chairman of COPF, claimed that the parliamentary probe into Sri Lanka’s visa issuance process and the VFS Global deal had resulted in threats to his life.

However, the Police said that when the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) contacted the MP to record a statement, he had informed the Police that his statement was made under parliamentary privileges.

Furthermore, while thanking the authorities for their action, de Silva stated that he currently faces no threats to his life, making an investigation unnecessary.

Responding to the various reports on his response to the Police probe, MP de Silva said he would not comment on the statements made by the Police concerning the issue. 

“At this moment I shall not comment on statements made by various people including the Police regarding what I said in @ParliamentLK. I shall continue to do my job to the best of my ability and fight for democracy in #SriLanka,” he said, in a post on ‘X’. (Newswire)

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A meeting convened by the Committee on Public Finance to inquire into the controversial VFS Global deal related to the new visa issuance process has been postponed again, due to the unavailability of the relevant government officials.

This was revealed by the Chair of the Parliament’s Committee on Public Finance (COPF), Harsha de Silva.

De Silva previously charged that officials from the Ministry of Public Security and the Department of Immigration and Emigration had avoided attending a scheduled inquiry on May 14 regarding the contentious new visa-on-arrival scheme.

The COPF Chair, taking to ‘X,’ said that the new date for the inquiry had been set for June 4.

“We’ve uncovered many details & will release everything after the final meeting. COPF is committed to exposing the truth behind the controversial GBS/IVS tender,” he said.  (Newswire)

#COPF meeting on #VFSfiasco postponed again due to Govt officials’ unavailability on May 28th. New date: June 4th. We’ve uncovered many details & will release everything after the final meeting. COPF is committed to exposing the truth behind the controversial GBS/IVS tender.

— Harsha de Silva (@HarshadeSilvaMP) May 25, 2024

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Officials from the Ministry of Public Security and the Department of Immigration and Emigration have avoided attending a scheduled inquiry by the Parliament’s Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) into the contentious new visa-on-arrival scheme.

CoPF Chair Harsha de Silva expressed strong disapproval of the officials’ conduct, stating that by informing the committee of their inability to participate at the last minute, they were disrespecting Parliament.

The officials were summoned before CoPF to inquire into the newly introduced visa issuance system by global visa processing service, VFS Global. The company and their charges levied to process visas were brought to the limelight after a Sri Lankan national at the Katunayake Airport was filmed raising concerns over the process, with the video of the incident being widely circulated on social media. (Newswire)

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Popular Youtuber Will Davis, known as ‘TrekTrendy’, has highlighted a massive data breach by global visa processing service, VFS Global which was involved in the recent controversy related to the visa issuance process at the Katunayake Airport. 

Will Davis, a luxury travel reviewer with nearly 1 million subscribers on YouTube, shared on social media that despite having his visa approved a long time ago, he has been continuously receiving details of other applicants from VFS Global.

“Some of you may remember the Sri Lanka visa saga a few weeks ago. Well whilst mine has long been approved, each day I’ve been getting other tourists visas emailed to me complete with full names, address and passport info. How is this a thing?! I’ve reached out in an attempt to try and make these stop but what a massive data breach,” his statement read. 

VFS Global came under fire for its visa issuance process and charges after a video widely circulated on social media showed an agitated Sri Lankan national claiming 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 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.”

Meanwhile, 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 was not processed through Parliament.

The Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) has also summoned the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security and the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration today for an inquiry into the controversial VFS Global visa issuance deal, which has faced criticism from many. (Newswire)

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Chief Opposition Whip MP Lakshman Kiriella raised concerns in Parliament today over the newly introduced visa issuance system at the Katunayake Airport, claiming that the Parliament was not informed of the decision on the charges of global visa processing service, VFS Global.

Addressing the Parliament, MP Kiriella said the Gazette published on the new visa issuance scheme only approves an increase in visa fees and not that of VFS Global. 

Stating that the Parliament Hansard also only consists of the discussion on the increase in visa fees, MP Kiriella questioned how the VFS fee had been implemented following a discussion in the Cabinet. 

MP Kiriella pointed out that the VFS fee is a separate segment, and as the Parliament has the Financial Power, the matter cannot be decided by the Cabinet. 

He further accused the authorities of having completely bypassed the Parliamentary system. 

Responding to the queries, Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles acknowledged that the proposal regarding VFS charges was not presented to Parliament. 

“The proposal regarding VFS was presented to the Cabinet. A committee appointed to study the matter had issued recommendations after which the proposal was resubmitted to the Cabinet and thereafter, approved. I never said that the VFS proposal on charges was presented to Parliament. We only spoke of the increase in Visa fee and the proposal on VFS in general,” Minister Alles explained. 

Minister Alles said that the committee had provided necessary recommendations after which the proposal, including VFS charges, was resubmitted to Cabinet and approved, due to which it was not necessary to be presented to Parliament. (Newswire)

“He says the matter (VFS) was not presented to Parliament. Then he questions the opposition for not debating the matter when it was presented in Parliament. These are double-tongued stories, he misled Parliament,” Chief Opposition Whip MP Lakshan Kiriella referring to Minister… pic.twitter.com/8gP60uiEcm

— NewsWire (@NewsWireLK) May 7, 2024

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Opposition Leader MP Sajith Premadasa has raised seven key questions related to Sri Lanka’s newly introduced on-arrival visa application system which came under fire recently.

Concerns were raised on the new process, following a video on social media, showing a traveller claiming that the process had been awarded to an Indian company which was levying extra processing fees and causing delays.

Addressing the media today, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles clarified the said incident and also provided details on the move to provide Sri Lanka’s visa application system from a state-run platform to a global visa processing service, VFS Global. 

Slamming Minister Alles for failing to address the matter properly, Opposition Leader MP Sajith Premadasa further criticised the minister for penalizing the whistleblower.

Taking to ‘X’, the Opposition Leader raised the following key questions from the relevant authorities.  

1. When cabinet papers were submitted for VFS selection?
2. What were the factors that led to choosing VFS at 25.77 USD over 1 USD per arrival that SLT Mobitel offered?
3. Considering Sri Lankan visa approval requires only a passport copy as opposed to visas of some other countries that need VFS for extensive documentation, how was the outsourcing justified?
4. When cabinet papers were submitted, did the Tourism minister object on the basis that higher fees might impact arrivals, are there any written observations he made on the papers? 
5. Did the Tourism Minister object to the scrapping of the most popular 30-day visa category?
6. At any point has the Tourism Minister who claims he is not involved been in conversation with any VFS officials?
7. Why is VFS involved in SL tourism promotion and how was the scope of work and costs calculated? 

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa warned that Sri Lanka’s tourism industry was at stake and that this confusion could not continue.

Also commenting on the matter, Opposition MP Harsha de Silva raised questions on the USD 200 million that had been proposed by IVS- GBS Global Services for the new visa issuance system. 

“Can this be real?! IVS-GBS global to invest USD 200 million (tech for website and cameras?) as per Cabinet Memo justifying outsource at USD 18.50+/visa. @VFSGlobal added later to original consortium? Where did this investment go? #SriLanka Gov MUST answer unless below is fake!” MP de Silva said, taking to ‘X’. 

Sharing the Cabinet paper, the SJB MP said the investment offered by the company covers the technical equipment and software knowledge for the system integration to be made with the Department of Immigration and Emigration. 

Questioning the government for details on the proposed investment, MP Harsha de Silva said the Sri Lankan Government must provide an answer to prove it is not fake. (Newswire)

Can this be real?! IVS-GBS global to invest USD 200 million (tech for website and cameras?) as per Cabinet Memo justifying outsource at USD 18.50+/visa. @VFSGlobal added later to original consortium? Where did this investment go? #SriLanka Gov MUST answer unless below is fake! pic.twitter.com/h4rViiWSNk

— Harsha de Silva (@HarshadeSilvaMP) May 6, 2024

The post Visa mess : 7 questions from Sajith Premadasa appeared first on Newswire.

The Department of Government Information issued a clarification yesterday, following allegations questioning the outsourcing of the Visa application process. 

The Department stated that the responsibility for on-arrival visa applications was awarded to VFS Global, a company operating in 151 countries with 3,388 centres worldwide, following assessment and approval by the Cabinet of Ministers on September 11, 2023. 

Based on a proposal tabled by Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, the company was selected following the Government’s procurement process, the Department said. VFS Global was chosen from two other contenders, due to its global reputation and extensive experience, with the view of streamlining the process for foreign visitors to apply for online visas.

The statement refuted recent reports alleging that the entire visa issuance process for foreign visitors to Sri Lanka had been transferred to a foreign company. Only the work of providing necessary facilities for visa issuance has been assigned to VFS Global, the Department said, denying claims that the operations were handed over without Cabinet approval. 

The Government added that it is taking appropriate action against officials who made statements and acted in defiance of the Cabinet decision.

Sri Lanka’s new visa-issuing process sparked concern, following a video widely circulated on social media, claiming that the process had been awarded to several Indian companies. 

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. The video also showed long queues at the BIA, where travellers were waiting to have their visa processed. 

The Indian High Commission meanwhile refuted reports of Indian companies taking over visa issuance at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake. “Any reference to India in this context is unwarranted,” the Indian High Commission said. (Newswire)

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