Friday Nov 22, 2024
Friday Nov 22, 2024
Tuesday, 10 September 2024 02:16 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Public Security Minister Tiran Alles yesterday refuted the allegations made by National People’s Party (NPP) MP Vijitha Herath regarding the ongoing visa and passport issue, accusing Herath of distorting facts and challenging him to a public debate on the matter.
At a press briefing held at the Ministry in Battaramulla, Minister Alles invited the media to ask any questions related to the visa and passport controversy.
He addressed Herath’s call for the Government to procure passports from the previous supplier, revealing that from 2007 to 2023, the Government had purchased 11 million passports from the same supplier, Epic Lanka, without calling for a tender.
Alles explained that Government officials had often waited until stocks were nearly depleted before ordering more passports from the previous supplier, costing $ 5.89 per passport. In response to this issue, Alles said he had instructed that a global tender be called when the contract was up for renewal, which resulted in the selection of Thales Group due to a more competitive price.
He further clarified that the contract was awarded on 14 May, with a delivery deadline set for the end of November to ensure the new stock would arrive in time. However, delays occurred due to the appeal process. Alles revealed during this period, he directly contacted the Chairperson of the former supplier, Epic Lanka, to request an emergency order of 100,000 passports.
Epic Lanka responded that their minimum order quantity was 500,000 passports, which they could only supply at the same rate of $ 5.89 per passport, with a delivery date even later than that of Thales Group. “The decision was whether to spend Rs. 894 million on passports, of which we would only need a small number, or purchase from the new supplier as part of the new deal but without the e-chip,” Alles explained.
Commenting on the suspension of the online appointment process for passports, the Minister revealed that appointments were being taken within 15 minutes of opening, with a group of racketeers allegedly reserving these slots and selling them to people for between Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 45,000. To combat this, Alles said he instructed the police to manage the queues, resulting in the processing lines now often finishing by 10:30 a.m.
Minister Alles accused MP Herath of lying about the visa and passport issue and reiterated his readiness to engage in an open debate to clarify the facts.
