SC to take up seven petitions against visa scheme today

Friday, 2 August 2024 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Supreme Court will today take up in one go the seven different petitions filed by multiple parties against the new visa scheme of the country which has stirred much controversy and allegations of corruption.

Among those who have challenged the legality and rationality of the controversial outsourcing of visa process include collective action by seven travel and tourism industry associations, the Transparency International Sri Lanka, good governance activists Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda and Chandra Jayaratne as well as MPs Patali Champika Ranawaka, M.A. Sumanthiran, and Rauff Hakeem. The latest to join the crusade was D.M. Dissanayake, a researcher and an election observer.

The petitions cite 28 respondents including Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, 17 other Cabinet Ministers, Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, as well as the parties involved in the outsourced visa processing GBS Technology Services and IVS Global-FZCO, IFZA Dubai Digital Park, and VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd., Dubai.

The unprecedented action was following the new visa process being viewed as in violation of the law and the rules of natural justice, as well as being non-transparent and non-consultative sans competitive bidding.

It has also been termed as detrimental to the travel and industry, as it has created confusion and chaos in a system that was otherwise very simple, user-friendly, and well accepted as one of the best in the region.