News
SPC annuls mouthwash tender
The State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) has refuted allegations surrounding the awarding of a tender for Chlorhexidine 0.2% mouthwash to a Bangladeshi company, following claims of irregularities raised by the Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA).
The MCPA alleged that the supplier in question was blacklisted for failing to honour previous agreements, sparking calls for an urgent investigation into the matter.
Responding to the accusations, SPC Chairman Dr. M.C. Weerasinghe said the tender had been initially awarded in accordance with established procurement procedures. “The contract was granted to the lowest bidder, who held valid certification from the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), as required by standard guidelines,” he said.
However, Dr. Weerasinghe admitted that a subsequent review had revealed the supplier’s earlier classification as a ‘default supplier’ by the SPC Board of Directors in October 2024. Upon uncovering that oversight, the SPC had promptly annulled the decision and began reallocating the tender to another qualified bidder.
“This was an error on the part of the Tender Committee, but corrective measures were taken as soon as the issue came to light,” Dr Weerasinghe said.
The MCPA criticised the selection process, urging the Health Ministry to ensure greater transparency in future procurement to avoid such controversies.
In its defence, the SPC has reiterated its commitment to maintaining high standards in procurement and assured the public that procedures have been tightened to prevent similar lapses.
The incident has reignited calls for stringent oversight and transparency in public procurement processes, particularly concerning essential medical supplies.
Accepting deposits from political parties and independent groups who intend to contest the forthcoming Local Authorities Election ended at 12noon today [19].
Deposits were accepted at respective District Secretariats from 3rd March 2025.
The Elections Commission has announced that the deadline for the accepting of nominations for the LA poll is set to conclude at 12:00 noon tomorrow (20).
It has been reported that the former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has appeared before the Matara Magistrate’s Court this morning (19),
The former IGP had been evading arrest after the Matara Magistrate’s court had ordered his arrest regarding a shooting incident that took place in front of the W15 Hotel Pelena, Weligama, Matara, in 2023.
The government has begun recovering funds obtained by former Lands and Land Development, Environment and Wildlife Resources Minister SM Chandrasena for the Janatha Lanka Chilli Marketing Limited (JLCML), which he headed, Parliament was informed yesterday.
Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation Minister Namal Karunaratne said that as the Chairman of JLCML, Chandrasena had obtained a loan of Rs. 1,275,000 from the Mihintale Govijana Seva Bank in 2001.
The principal of the loan had not been repaid until the end of last year. “After we came to power, we demanded that the loan be settled. Then, we discovered that the interest on the loan had not been paid for the past 24 years, and attempts had been made to have the loan written off. We stopped that and are now in the process of recovering the interest of Rs. 1,975,233 on the loan,” Karunaratne said.
Karunaratne added that JLCML was registered as a company with the Registrar of Companies on March 21, 2001. As Chairman of the company, Chandrasena requested a loan of Rs. 10 million on April 19, 2001, for the purpose of purchasing chillies from farmers in 12 farmer colonies in the Mihintale Agrarian Service area.
The request was approved by the Mihintale Agrarian Service Committee on the same day and referred to the Anuradhapura District Agrarian Operations Committee, which approved it on April 23, 2001. However, the Agriculture Development Commissioner General recommended that a loan of Rs. 1.2 million would suffice for this purpose. JLCML took the loan and failed to repay it until the end of last year. When the matter was raised, the principal was paid, and we are now in the process of recovering the interest that was not paid for the past 24 years,” Karunaratne added.
By Saman Indrajith
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