Vijitha says audit report on e-Visa key to ongoing court case

Wednesday, 29 October 2025 04:26 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Acting Justice Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday said the special audit report on the controversial e-Visa contract would serve as crucial evidence in the ongoing court case surrounding the deal.

Speaking at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing, he reaffirmed that the relevant authorities were fully committed to ensuring accountability and transparency in handling the matter, though declining to comment further due to the matter being sub judice.

Responding to questions on why former Public Security Minister Tiran Alles and Ministry Secretary Viyani Gunathilaka had not been arrested, while former Controller General of Immigration and Emigration Harsha Ilukpitiya had been sentenced, Herath clarified that Ilukpitiya was convicted of contempt of court, while proceedings against the other two were ongoing.

According to the audit, GBS Technology Services and IVS Global-FZCO, operating under VFS VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd., had collected both the 2.5% Social Security Contribution Levy (SSCL) and 18% Value Added Tax (VAT) from visa applicants between April and August 2024. However, the companies failed to remit these taxes, resulting in a loss of $ 1,418,360 to the Government comprising $ 172,970 in SSCL and $ 1,245,390 in VAT.

The report further revealed that the two firms handled 373,991 visa applications during this period, generating approximately $ 6.9 million in service-fee revenue. It also found the operators earned an additional $ 1.8 million from visa-fee-waiver countries, where visitors were exempt from visa fees but were still charged a service fee.

Under the new e-Visa system, all applicants, including those eligible for fee exemptions, were required to pay a service fee of $ 18.50 per application. In contrast, the previous Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system operated by SLT-Mobitel charged only $ 1, with the approved proposal recommending only a nominal increase. The audit questioned how such a steep hike could be justified, especially for tourist and business visa categories designed to encourage foreign arrivals.

The report noted the project was marred by “major procedural lapses, revenue losses, and lack of transparency” in its award and implementation, findings that are expected to play a central role in the court proceedings.