Sri Lanka Consulate in Frankfurt ‘serves no useful purpose’: expatriate businessman

by Harischandra Gunaratna

The Consulate in Frankfurt has turned out to be a ‘white elephant’ although the Sri Lankan government spends a whopping Rs. 200 million per year for its operations, Azad Shaukatally, a businessman and a SriLankan expatriate in Frankurt told The Island Financial Review recently.

“Over the years, this consulate has not contributed anything tangible to the country other than successive governments appointing one of its political loyalists to head the Mission.

“None of them have done anything concrete to promote business between the two countries,” he said.

According to him, the Mission could have contributed a great deal by promoting Sri Lankan exports and tourism as Frankfurt is the business hub of Germany.

“What actually happens is, the Consulate in Frankfurt simply replicates several tasks performed by the Sri Lankan Embassy in Berlin and that’s it. But it incurs an exorbitant cost to the country without the knowledge of the authorities. This is sheer waste of national resources and it neeeds to be brought to an end,” Shaukatally said.

When The Island Financial Review contacted the Foreign Ministry over the matter, its Acting Director General Sugeeshwara Gunaratna said.”The Foreign Ministry regularly evaluates performance of each Sri Lankan Embassy, High Commission and Consulate General abroad, and constructively engages with each Mission/Post from time to time on specific issues or matters which are mutually beneficial in promotion of Sri Lanka’s bilateral and multilateral relations with the host country and various international organistions while ensuring best interests of the people of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan citizens living abroad.”

He said, any decisions related to opening of new missions or closure of particular Missions/Posts abroad including the Consulate General in Frankfurt would be taken with wider consultation with relevant stakeholders based on the relevancy of each Mission/Post in promotion of Sri Lanka’s relations abroad.”

“Hence, under the current financial constraints, the Foreign Ministry is in the process of closing down some of the Sri Lankan Missions/Posts abroad after obtaining the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers. However, no final decision, has so far, been taken with regard to the Missions/Posts which would be closed down in the near future,” Sugeeshwara Gunaratna said.