The disclosure comes amid significant reforms to Sri Lanka’s Onboard Security Team (OBST) operations aimed at strengthening state revenue and financial transparency.
OBST services in Sri Lanka were first initiated by the Navy in 2009 and have since operated under several administrative structures. In 2012, the service functioned as a joint venture between Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Ltd (RALL) and Avant Guard Maritime Services (AGMS). Under that arrangement, the Navy received only 15 percent of total revenue, paid in Sri Lankan Rupees, while 80.75 percent was retained by AGMS and 4.25 percent by RALL.
Although the service was briefly returned to the Navy in 2015 and later transferred back to a private joint venture in 2021, a decisive step was taken on August 10, 2025. Through an extraordinary gazette notification, full authority and responsibility for providing OBST services were reassigned to the Sri Lanka Navy.
Under the current system, all revenue earned from international shipping companies is credited directly in US Dollars to the Government’s Consolidated Fund, eliminating intermediaries and ensuring maximum foreign exchange benefits to the State.
Financial data revealed that the impact of the transition. Within less than four months—from October 3, 2025, to February 8, 2026—the Navy’s independent operations contributed USD 598,250 directly to the Consolidated Fund. In contrast, the previous RALL-AGMS joint venture generated approximately USD 14.12 million over nearly four years from September 2021 to July 2025.
By directly managing onboard security operations for foreign vessels, the Navy is expected to further strengthen state revenue, enhance transparency, and reinforce Sri Lanka’s credibility in the international maritime security sector.
