By Asoka Seneviratne –

Asoka Seneviratne

Reports indicate that Tiran Alles submitted a cabinet paper which was readily approved to outsource the On-Arrival visa process to VSF Global. On arrival visas bring a large amount of foreign exchange to our country and I for one am shocked why this very profitable process was outsourced. Could it be that SL customs was in-efficient? Or were they taking bribes? Or the system was messy? Or is it that VSF Global has a vast database of criminals, drug lords, money launderers across the world that SL customs lack?

Whatever the case may be this is a shameful and unacceptable situation. I would even argue that this is a slap in the face on our intellectual capacity as a nation. Granted that while the government broadly labels this as a cabinet decision, it is no secret that the handful of heavy wights like unelected RW, Tiran Alles call the shots.

Now many countries use the services of VSF Global for one main reason. Saving money. For example having a group of highly paid Europeans or North American bureaucrats is a lot more expensive than hiring a few Asians from India or Vietnam to process visas. Processing visas to travel to a rich country is far more complex than stamping a visa on arrival to SL for a limited period.

If SL customs do not possess a huge database of criminals across the world, that should never be a reason to use a 3^rd party. Why because at a monthly charge, SL customs should be able access this database from a 3^rd party. Next, if the thinking of the SL government is that criminals and drug lords can get on arrival visas with bribery, there are proven methods across the world to catch the culprits. It is called “sting” operations where CID officers infiltrate as visitors and try to bribe an immigration officer.

If a “Sting” operation throws one single immigration officer in jail for 5 to 10 years, this menace will come to a halt very quickly. This method is widely used in the USA that has resulted in imprisonment of even high-powered US senators being tossed in jail. No question.

That is how Rule of Law works that has helped these countries to be rich among other things. Break the law, and you end up in jail no matter who you are!

While talking about sting operations, if the CID is allowed to do their job free of political interference and the CID end up throwing one or two corrupt ministers in jail for the long haul, corruption might at least slow down. This is why I have constantly argued in favor of separation of powers.

While talking about the Colombo airport, I want I want to add a few more thoughts and hopes our opportunistic tourism minister Fernando might somehow get better sense on tourism.

Did anybody see the thick, crowded line of tourists at the on-arrival visa counter? Does anybody think that these tourists, some of whom have travelled more than 12- 20 hours to get to their much sought after vacation in a tropical paradise with their hard saved money, really appreciate these endless disorderly, chaotic lines? Or do they prefer to just get over these procedures as fast as possible and get to their hotels?

Also the arrival immigration lounge at the airport has undergone some basic improvement. They have added long railings/stanchions  leading to each immigration counter and numbered them too.  This is progress compared to before. But…..

They did not think right again!!! Why did they not make one  long stanchioned line leading to all the immigration counters and had each passenger direct to a counter that falls vacant. This should surely speed up the process.

The world has heard of the largest shop in the world; Amazon.com. Why is Amazon.com the most popular online shop? It is the sheer convenience and speed. Nothing else.

So the minister can take a que and figure out a way to make our airport efficient and less chaotic. Specially westerners are used to speed and efficiency. Ministers are busy people so Fernando needs to hire a proven, dynamic person to run the airport. Here lies the problem in general. The minister is likely to put a family member, buddy or a lackey to run the airport.

Isn’t this our curse anyway which eventually ran the country to the ditch?

Nepotism!

I remember how Gota appointed ageing eldest brother, former police constable as the minister of public administration. Imagine that? Such a vast and complex establishment that serves the people of SL given to a man void of any modern thinking, technology and forward thinking!  The man can barely walk, let alone run a gigantic organization efficiently!

The list goes on…

The ultimate hope for us all is that JVP will take the helm this year. This is mostly because the other two parties have ruined the nation, more than anything JVP is offering fresh.

Speaking right from my heart, I am totally at a loss to understand why JVP so far has not put forward their political agenda in detail! This must happen.

Let us face it. Talk is cheap. The country needs to know! Anura Kumara Dissanayake should come out with a detailed manifesto spelling out his policies and programs, now!