Sri Lanka’s state-run Rupavahini Corporation has made large losses and the Treasury has given 3,052 million rupees in taxpayer money over 9 years to keep the enterprise afloat, Minister of Information Bandula Gunawardana said.
In 2014 the Treasury had given Rupavahini 182 million rupees; in 2015, 374 million rupees; in 2016, 273 million; in 2017, 196 million; 2018, 295 million; in 2019, 468 million; in 2020, 273 million; in 2021, 229 million; in 2022, 541 million and so far in 2023, 253 million rupees.
Rupavahini had lost 579 million rupees in 2018,150 million rupees in 2019; 544 million rupees in 2020, 362 million rupees inin 2021 and 25 million rupees in 2022.
He was responding to questions by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna leader Anura Dissanayake over airtime sales of Channel, Rupavahini Corporation’s secon television channel to Vis Broadcasting (Pvt) Ltd.
Minister Gunawardana said the private company had paid 75 million rupees in advance to buy airtime from Channel Eye for six months at a fee of 25 million rupees a month in an agreement negotiated with the firm.
The money was used to repay arrears to various suppliers and to maintain a provident fund due to the workers.
“The 75 million was used for paying the electricity bill of the Corporation from January to March, which was at 25.5 million, 8 million was allocated for the workers health fund, 13 million to the EPF and ETF fund, 3.5 million to the telecom to settle an outstanding bill and another 25 million to payoff the rest of the outstanding electricity bill, ” Minister Gunwardana told parliament.
Dissanayake questioned how the lease and the cost was decided without calling for public procurement process.
Minister Gunawardana denied wrongdoing.
The offer to buy airtime had come shortly before a cricket series, he said.
Initially an offer had come to pay 15 million rupees. The Board had made a counter offer of 25 million rupees. EN
