Basil puts on hold controversial deal awarded to blacklisted Indian company

By Saman Indrajith

Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has put on hold the controversial deal of getting a blacklisted Indian company to print fool-proof stickers for bottles of liquor following the requests by Excise unions.

Co-Secretary of the Unity of Excise Trade Unions Nirosh Jayakody told The Island that they had met the new Finance Minister and explained to him that the controversial scheme had tarnished the image of the Department.

“We pointed out that the deal struck between the Finance Ministry of the former government and discredited Madras Security Printers (MSP) of India had given rise to many controversies and corruption charges because there seemed to be many underhand deals. The minister listened to our complaints and then questioned the Commissioner General of Excise, who responded that the whole process of procurement and selecting the MSP had been done by his predecessors and he was only carrying out the follow-up procedure. The minister then informed us that he would put this on hold and look into the matter.”

Jayakody said that seven members of the Unity of Excise Trade Unions covering all unions in the Excise Department and the staff grade officials of the department had Minister Rajapaksa at the auditorium of the ministry on Monday. The meeting was attended by the top officials of the ministry and the Treasury.

“We pointed out to the minister that Matara District SJB MP Buddhika Pathirana too has raised this issue in Parliament several times and the documents tabled in parliament by the MP were authentic to prove the corruption behind the deal. Some Cabinet ministers of the yahapalana government and some officials cut a deal to hand over a tender to a blacklisted Indian company to print the stickers.

“The tender to print stickers and then the bar-codes was awarded to MSP without following due procedure. The officials concerned protested. This deal should be investigated by the government, and the wrongdoers including the politicians and the officials will be exposed.”

The foolproof sticker is a requirement to be introduced to curb the mushrooming illicit liquor producers in the market and to reduce the loss in state revenue caused by it. But this scheme would not be able to achieve the targeted results,” Jayakody said, adding that Minister Rajapaksa was of the opinion that not a single US dollar should be allowed to leave the country unnecessarily and put the project on hold pending further inquiries.”