brand logo

Tax rupees: Millions spent on ‘flower drop’ flights 

22 Jan 2022

By Skandha Gunasekara Millions of rupees in taxpayers’ money have been spent in the last year by the Government to airdrop flowers for religious events, The Sunday Morning learns.  This comes as the country faces an economic crisis, compounded by a foreign currency shortage.  Responding to a query, Airforce Spokesman Group Captain Dushan Wijesinghe told The Sunday Morning that the per hour cost for such a flight could be as high as $ 2,000.  “The cost depends on the type of helicopters we use. A Bell -412 helicopter costs around $ 2,000 to operate per hour. A Bell -212 or jet ranger helicopter would cost less per hour,” Wijesinghe explained.  He said around six helicopter flights had been carried out by the Air Force to drop flowers for religious functions last year.  “In 2021, some six such flights have been made to drop flowers for religious events. However, I’m not sure of the exact number as of yet as I need to go over the records,” Wijesinghe said, adding that the Government usually covered the costs incurred. According to Wijesinghe, the Ministry of Buddhasasana pays the Air Force for the flower airdrop expenses.     

Kapruka

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


More News..