Speaking on the matter, the Minister said no tender has been awarded so far and that reports suggesting otherwise are inaccurate.
“The statement made regarding the e-passport is completely false because no tender has been awarded so far,” he said.
Minister Wijepala noted that the e-passport tender process was initiated under the previous government and that several companies had since sought legal action related to the matter.
He further stated that a separate tender process concerning the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) system of the e-passport project is currently under review, with one institution having submitted an appeal before the Appeals Committee regarding the selection process.
“A tender has been called regarding the PKI system, but an institution has gone before the Appeals Committee over the selection process. No final decision has been taken yet,” the Minister said.
He added that the Cabinet has referred the matter to the Procurement Commission and emphasized that all tender procedures linked to the project are being handled transparently.
