July 31, Colombo (LNW): Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has lodged a fundamental rights petition with the Supreme Court, seeking action against procedural violations and abuse of public trust by officials in the procurement of private entities to manage the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system for issuing visas to tourists.
Filed in the public interest, the petition addresses alleged transparency issues and non-compliance with guidelines in decision-making and procurement processes affecting tourism, the economy, and national security.
TISL claims that citizens’ fundamental rights to equality and information, guaranteed under Articles 12(1) and 14A of the Constitution, have been breached by the respondents’ actions and inactions.
The respondents named include 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.
TISL challenges the selection of private entities as authorised visa representatives, alleging that these agreements could result in significant financial losses and harm to the tourism sector.
The petition highlights that the existing partnership with Mobitel (Pvt) Limited, running since 2012, has been efficient and problem-free.
Mobitel’s proposal to improve the ETA system in August 2023 offered services at no cost to the government, with a fee of USD 1 per application, compared to the USD 18.50 charged by the newly selected entities.
The petition calls for accountability from the respondents for their illegal, arbitrary, and unreasonable actions in the procurement process.
