Saturday 4th May, 2024

The Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) has always been a metaphor for chaos. It has earned notoriety for flight delays, lethargy, lack of facilities, inefficiency and various irregularities. It should be given a radical shake-up. But instead of making an effort to bring order out of chaos there, the government has rendered BIA even more chaotic by involving a foreign company in the issuance of on-arrival visas.

On Wednesday night, the personnel of the foreign company withdrew from the on-arrival visa counters after failing to handle the task they had undertaken to perform for a fee. The Immigration and Emigration officials had to step in to man the counters.

The Department of Immigration and Emigration has been handling the on-arrival visa section itself all these years, and there was absolutely no need for that task to be outsourced. Visitors to Sri Lanka now have to pay the foreign company as well, and on-line visa costs have increased, as a result.

Tourism industry stakeholders have reportedly written to President Ranil Wickremesinghe that Sri Lanka charges the highest visa fees in Asia, and they impede efforts being made to increase tourist arrivals.

Instead of heeding concerns being expressed about the involvement of a foreign company in running the on-arrival visa section at BIA and the resultant increases in visa fees much to the detriment of the country’s tourism industry, the government has launched a witch-hunt. Claiming that chaos at the on-arrival visa section was orchestrated by some Immigration and Emigration Department officials, it has threatened action against them. It has said on-arrival visas will continue to be issued by the foreign company.

Whose brilliant idea was it to outsource the task of running the visa-on-arrival section? Why did the government decide to bring in a foreign company? Why can’t the Immigration and Emigration Department issue on-arrival of visas? What were the criteria used in selecting the company concerned? Who decided on the fees the company charges from visitors to Sri Lanka?

Has any government politician benefited from the visa deal? Ruling party politicians would not have taken up the cudgels for the foreign company for nothing in return. They are all out to ensure the perpetuation of the controversial visa operation. It is only natural that one smells a rat.

The issue of a foreign company being involved in the issuance of on-arrival visas must not go uninvestigated. The government owes an explanation. It is hoped that the Opposition will take up the issue and make a serious effort to get at the truth. It will be interesting to see the reaction of the various trade unions at BIA to the controversy.