News

Govt. urged to probe questionable passport deal, save state funds

Published

1 year ago

2024/10/28

Pubudu Jayagoda

The People’s Struggle Alliance (PSA), led by the JVP-splinter group, the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), yesterday called on their former colleagues in the government to conduct a thorough investigation immediately into issues related to the procurement of passports and allegations of fraud involving public funds.

Addressing the media in Nugegoda, PSA’s Colombo District candidate, Pubudu Jayagoda, contesting next month’s parliamentary election, warned that the government’s coffers would lose millions of US dollars due to a questionable deal with a private entity to purchase 750,000 N-Series passports, as per a Cabinet decision dated 02 Sept., 2024.

” Generally, around 2,800 passport applications are submitted daily, but recently, only about 1,000 passports have been issued. This shortfall is due to the government’s decision to issue a new type of passport. Until now, Machine Readable Passports (MRPs) hav been issued. The government decided to introduce e-Passports with a chip and enhanced security features. For this, a new Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) was required. Initially, the Expression of Interest (EOI) said the entity issuing the new passports must also handle the PKI. However, this requirement was dropped during the tender process, and the final tender was called without including PKI.

Four companies submitted bids during the tender process, of which three qualified. Among them, Epic Lanka submitted a bid of USD 9.85 million. The next bid from a Malaysian company, ‘Irish’, in collaboration with Metropolitan, was USD 6.37 million. The French company ‘Thales’, partnered with ‘Just in Time’, offered USD 5.02 million. Consequently, the lowest bid by ‘Just in Time’ was selected for the tender. However, Epic Lanka, which had been involved in passport issuance in Sri Lanka for 21 years,

challenged the tender process in court, claiming irregularities. This legal dispute delayed the implementation of the e-passport system, leading to long queues for passports.

Epic Lanka has consistently argued that it holds the legal rights to passport issuance in Sri Lanka, and if the contract is awarded to another company, they should receive compensation. However, the Department of Immigration and Emigration is convinced otherwise. Ultimately, the court ruled that if compensation were to be paid, it should be USD 1.5 per passport, and a committee would decide on the payment. A committee has been appointed, but it has yet to submit its recommendations.

Epic Lanka claims that it has legal authority to issue passports in Sri Lanka, presenting a letter to this effect, while the Department of Immigration and Emigration denies having received such a letter. This raises questions about whether the department signed an agreement with Epic Lanka as they claim, necessitating an immediate investigation, Jayagoda has said. Currently, ‘Just in Time’ has issued 750,000 passports, and for each passport, a payment of USD 1.45 is owed to Epic Lanka. This amounts to about a million dollars, representing a significant waste of public funds. The government must clarify its position on this matter immediately, says the PSA.

“It’s important to note that Epic Lanka was previously accused in a data fraud case related to the National Medicines Regulatory Authority.

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Heat Index at Caution Level in the Northern, North-central, North-western, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Eastern and Southern provinces and in Monaragala district

Published

60 mins ago

2026/04/18

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 17 April 2026, valid for 18 April 2026.

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Northern, North-central, North-western, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Eastern
and Southern provinces and in Monaragala district.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

News

Oil prices plunge as Iran says Strait of Hormuz ‘open’ during ceasefire

Published

4 hours ago

2026/04/17

Priyan

Oil prices have plummeted after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz would be “completely open” to commercial ships for the remainder of the ceasefire.

The cost of a barrel of Brent crude fell to $88 dollars a barrel, having been above $98 earlier on Friday.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow strip of water linking the Gulf to the Arabian sea, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquified natural gas is typically transported.

“The passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.

Global markets also rallied on the announcement, with the major US stock indices rising in early trading. The S&P 500 rose by 0.8%, while the Nasdaq and Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) were both up by more than 1%.

European shares also rose in reaction to the news. The Cac index in Paris and Dax in Frankfurt both climbed by more than 2%, while London’s FTSE 100 rose by around 0.5%.

The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively shut by Iran since the US and Israel launched military strikes in the country in late February.

Tankers have been unable to pass through, drastically reducing the amount of oil and gas available on global markets and causing prices to spike.

Before the conflict, Brent crude was trading at under $70 per barrel. It rose above $100 before reaching a peak of more than $119 per barrel in March.

Sharp rises in the price of oil have pushed up the price of petrol and diesel for drivers, as well as sparking concerns over the supply of jet fuel, leading to fears airlines will have to ground flights.

The closure of the key waterway has also cut off a major supply line of fertiliser, used by farmers, raising the prospect of higher food prices as a result of the conflict.

A third of the world’s key fertiliser chemicals pass through the Strait, and prices have risen steeply since the outbreak of war.

However, hours before Araghchi’s statement, motoring group the RAC said petrol and diesel prices had fallen slightly, in the UK for the first time since the US-Israel war with Iran began.

Pump prices began to ease on Thursday and continued on Friday, it said, though it remains far more expensive to fill up a tank than it did in February.

Iran’s decision to re-open the Strait of Hormuz followed a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

US President Donald Trump welcomed the move, writing on Truth Social: “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!”

Trump added that Iran had agreed “to never close the Strait of Hormuz again… it will no longer be used as a weapon against the world”.

But, in a follow up post, he said a naval blockade of Iran will remain “in full force and effect” until a permanent deal to end the US-Israel war with the country is agreed.

Despite Iran’s announcement, one oil and gas shipping operator told the BBC it “doesn’t change anything” immediately.

“We don’t feel like we need to be taking unnecessary risks and our company approach is that we won’t be the first to go through the Strait”, the operator, who did not want to be named, said.

Another company, Stena Bulk, which operates oil tankers in the region, said it was “monitoring developments closely”.

“The safety of our crew and vessels governs every routing decision, and we will not transit until we are satisfied it is safe to do so”, the company added.

(BBC)

Latest News

Navy seize 161kg heroin shipment in high-seas operation

Published

5 hours ago

2026/04/17

Priyan

Being a key frontline stakeholder in the national mission, ‘A Nation United,’ the Navy continues to maintain a vigilant maritime shield to eradicate the drug menace from society.

During yet another successful operation on the high seas south of Sri Lanka, the Navy intercepted a local multi-day fishing trawler and apprehended four suspects in connection with the
smuggling of a stock of suspected narcotics.

The intercepted trawler, along with the suspects, was escorted to the Dikowita Fisheries Harbour today, (17 April 2026).

During a special inspection at the fisheries harbour, the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB) confirmed the presence of over 161kg of heroin.

The Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekera (Retd), and the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, to inspect seized narcotics.

Addressing the media, the Deputy Minister emphasized that drug trafficking has long persisted as an organized and sophisticated criminal enterprise. He highlighted that under the current government’s national mission, ‘A Nation United,’ a robust state mechanism is now in motion, integrating the Tri-Forces, Police, Special Task Force, PNB, and international agencies to dismantle these networks.

Underscoring the Navy’s operational success, the Deputy Minister revealed that in 2025 alone, the Navy seized narcotics valued at over Rs. 75,000 million. In the first four months of 2026, the momentum has continued with nearly Rs. 50,000 million worth of drugs intercepted and produced for legal action.

During this short period, 14 local multi-day trawlers and 127 suspects have been apprehended. He issued a stern assurance that seized drugs would never find their way back into society, as they are systematically destroyed under strict protocols.
“Human capital is our nation’s most vital asset,” the Deputy Minister noted, adding that a healthy population leads to a quality workforce and a resilient economy. He further remarked that the vision of a “A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life”, extends beyond financial stability to include the dignity, discipline, and mindset of the citizenry.

“On the instructions of the President, new legislation is being drafted for Parliamentary approval to further empower this national mission and ensure a law-abiding, civilized society for future generations”, he stated.

Concluding the briefing, the Deputy Minister lauded the media for their role in drug prevention and urged continued responsible journalism to educate the public on the dangers of narcotics.

Meanwhile, the apprehended suspects, the multi-day trawler, and the 161kg heroin shipment were handed over to the Police Narcotic Bureau for onward investigation and legal proceedings.