SC suspends outsourcing of visa application processing

by AJA Abeynayake

The Supreme Court yesterday issued an Interim Order suspending a Cabinet’s decision to outsource visa application processing to GBS Technology Services & IVS Global- FZCO, VFS VF Worldwide Holdings LTD-led consortium.

This suspension would remain in effect until the petitions are finally resolved, the Court ordered.

The Court also ordered the authorities to maintain the status quo ante as it existed before the implementation of the Cabinet decision.

The order was given by Supreme Court three-judge-bench comprising Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Kumuduni Wickremasinghe and Achala Wengappuli when several fundamental rights petitions including one from members of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF), MA Sumanthiran PC, Rauff Hakeem and Patali Champika Ranawaka, and the other from the Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) filed challenging the procedural violations and abuse of public trust by officials in the procurement of private entities to handle the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system for issuing visas to tourists visiting Sri Lanka, were taken up for support.

The petitioners have cited Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles, Ministry Secretary Viyani Gunathilaka, the Cabinet of Ministers and several others as respondents.