The United Republic Front (URF) Leader and Opposition Parliamentarian Patali Champika Ranawaka raised concerns about the alleged silence of certain Opposition political groups including the National People's Power (NPP) and the Supreme Lanka Coalition (SLC) regarding the outsourcing of online and on-arrival visa issuance to a foreign company.
Controversy flared up recently after video clips circulated on social media platforms showing an incoming passenger at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake claiming that "Indian" personnel were handling Sri Lanka's immigration and emigration processes. It was subsequently disclosed that the visa processing has been outsourced to GBS Technology Services and IVS Global-FZCO, with VFS Global serving as the technology partner.
Speaking to The Daily Morning, Ranawaka claimed that the transaction had been done in violation of the prescribed procedures, potentially paving the way for widespread corruption. Despite Parliamentary debates being held on similar issues, he expressed surprise that no party has yet called for a debate on this issue. "The NPP keeps saying that they fight corruption. The SLC advocates for the protection of national resources. Where are they now? Why do they not raise their voice against this deal? They seem to vanish when needed. This issue and certain parties' silence expose the political underbelly in our country. This issue is being swept under the rug, misleading the entire country. It should not be allowed to happen and everyone should call for action."
Attempts to contact the NPP Executive Committee Member Sunil Handunnetti and SLC Member, MP Udaya Gammanpila proved futile.
Earlier, Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Dr. Harsha de Silva urged the Parliament to investigate the issue, raising questions about the justification for paying a monopoly rent allegedly amounting to Rs. 18 billion for the next 12 months, given the extra fee of United States Dollars 25.77 charged by the said Company per visa. He also sought clarification on who specified the terms of reference for the contract, what the actual cost of the service is, and which other options were considered before awarding the contract.
Responding to the allegations surrounding the matter, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles recently said that changes to the visa process including the introduction of new visa categories, increasing fees charged for certain categories of visa, and outsourcing the online and on-arrival visa process to the said Company, were done in accordance with the prescribed procedures, including approvals from the Cabinet of Ministers and the Parliament.