Colombo, Sep 26 (IANS): Sri Lanka's new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced late Thursday that his government has reinstated the previous visa issuance system, effective midnight.
"The government has officially reinstated the previous visa issuance system, effective from 12.00 midnight today," Dissanayake posted on X.
Last month, Sri Lanka's Immigration Department reverted to issuing on-arrival visas at the points of entry, and airports after the Supreme Court suspended a controversial deal outsourcing online visa issuing to a tripartite joint venture.
The government led by Ranil Wickremesinghe was accused by the opposition parties of amassing $10 million from the controversial deal.
The petitioners had charged that the procedural violations and abuse of public trust had been caused by officials in the procurement of private entities to handle the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system for issuing visas to tourists visiting Sri Lanka. They claimed the deal had affected the tourism industry, national economy and national security.
While suspending the operation of foreign companies from issuing online visas, the Lankan Supreme Court had ordered the Immigration Department to return to the ETA system that was there before April 2024 and run by a local company which provided the service at a cost of one dollar while VFS Global was charging different prices from $10 to much more depending on the category of visa.
However, the Public Security Minister in Wickremesinghe's Cabinet, Tiran Alles asserted that the ETA system run by Mobitel cannot be restored as many changes have been introduced and there were changes in laws which were passed in Parliament.
Minutes after Dissanayake announced the decision late Thursday evening, Vijitha Herath, the new Minister of Public Security, said that all foreigners will now be able to apply for visas under the previous system.
"The visa facility provided by VFS Global has caused significant difficulties for many. Foreigners arriving in Sri Lanka experienced considerable challenges in obtaining their visas. In response, and following a court decision, the Ministry of Public Security has intervened to resume the issuing of visas under the previous system," Herath was quoted as saying by Daily Mirror.
"From 12.00 midnight today, foreigners can easily apply for visas online, which will be processed within 24 hours. This marks a significant improvement. Furthermore, we have initiated an immediate forensic audit to investigate the irregularities associated with the VFS Global. Any discrepancies found will be subject to legal action in the future. As a result, those in business and investment sectors will now have access to the same visa facilities," he added.