Friday, 8 November 2013 00:00
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The External Affairs Ministry has been in the news more often of late, mostly due to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). But on Wednesday its Secretary was quoted as being thankful that a decision to impose a 3,000 pound levy on Sri Lankan travellers to the UK has been dismissed. Yet there is little being done to improve the lot of the average traveller by these officials, as studies have shown.
Anyone who believes that Sri Lanka’s international reputation has improved magnificently by the end of the war has only to take a look at a recent study done on passports to know that such optimism needs to be taken with a large dose of salt.
Government officials including those at the External Affairs Ministry, off on overloaded junkets funded by public money, will not be aware of what little trust is placed in Sri Lankan passports and how minor the concessions provided for it are. So meagre are they that the Sri Lankan passport is among the 10 worst in the world.
Surely it is time that the Government, preferably led by the External Affairs Ministry, works with countries to smooth the road for Sri Lankans? The Government is ecstatic that 37 countries have confirmed their attendance for CHOGM, so these countries are being virtually handed to officials on a platter to improve the country’s image. Certainly the taxpayer can get some direct benefit from this, for after all the bill for CHOGM is being footed by them. If the number climbs to the full 53, then there is all the more traction to be gained.
External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris is often quoted welcoming leaders to explore Sri Lanka and all its post-war wonders. It is only fair that locals get the chance to do the same. Globally. Brushing up Sri Lanka’s reputation should not be just as defence come the next UN Human Rights Council, but also to provide tangible benefits to the patient public. Improving passport access would be a fantastic start.
Most Sri Lankan travellers used to being fingerprinted and facing regular demands for extra paperwork not requested from other tourists will not be surprised by this. In fact, with the exception of Singapore and Maldives, Sri Lankans require visa for every other destination and even for visa on arrival require letters to be presented at the check in counter before they are even allowed to board the plane.
For those who would argue that Sri Lanka’s security and issue of illegal migrants might be the stumbling block, the study presents some interesting findings. Despite its recent political turmoil, both Libyan and Syrian passport holders fared better than its sub-continent counterparts with a score of 39 and a rank of 87 out of 93 countries listed. This clearly means that Sri Lankan officials have to concentrate harder on providing seamless travel for their citizens.
Even countries such as China, with which Sri Lanka’s Government believes it has a rosy relationship, does not allow for free travel for individuals. They must travel with groups or provide a letter from an official source in China for travel approval. Failure to promote such basic access means a lopsided situation is created where outsiders can have access to Sri Lanka but the same freedom is not provided to perfectly honest citizens. Really External Affairs Ministry, this is your cue.
