SL to receive new passport shipment amid legal hurdles on e-passport system
By: Isuru Parakrama
October 15, Colombo (LNW): Minister Vijitha Herath has announced that a new shipment of passports will arrive in Sri Lanka next Saturday, with distribution set to commence on Monday (21).
This update follows a press briefing held today (15), where key decisions from the latest Cabinet meeting were outlined.
The Minister also addressed the legal complications surrounding the country’s e-passport system.
An ongoing court injunction has halted any progress on the project, preventing tenders from being called for its implementation.
“Once the legal proceedings conclude, we will reassess the matter,” Minister Herath confirmed.
Despite the arrival of 750,000 new passports, Herath cautioned that the supply will likely run out in the near future.
To avoid another shortage, the government has initiated a procurement process to import additional regular passports through a formal tender procedure.
The Minister emphasised that proactive steps are being taken to ensure there are no further disruptions in passport issuance, aiming to meet the growing public demand promptly.
