Public Security Minister Tiran Alles challenged MP Harsha de Silva to provide evidence of any loss caused to the government from the visa process outsourcing deal with VFS Global. De Silva, who recommended a forensic audit of the deal, is the chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF), which recommended its cancellation or amendment. However, Minister Alles claimed the report was compiled without the majority consent of COPF members, contrary to what the report suggests.
Alles emphasized that the Sri Lankan government has not spent any money on the VFS project or incurred any loss. He noted that VFS commenced services on April 16 without issue until an incident at the airport on May 1, and that the project was approved by both Parliament and the Cabinet.
Accusing certain individuals of fabricating stories and figures about the VFS deal for political and personal gain, Alles challenged anyone claiming significant fraud to present factual evidence. He refuted claims that tourist arrivals had decreased since VFS took over, stating he would take responsibility if provided with authentic data.
Minister Alles highlighted that 16,000 to 20,000 tourists were attracted on average since the introduction of the new visa category, which had not previously existed in Sri Lanka. From April 17 to July 15, over 50,000 tourists arrived under the new visa categories, generating over USD 4.5 million in revenue for the government.
Reiterating that the government had not spent any money on VFS or incurred any losses, Alles said they had instead saved about Rs 2 million previously paid to Mobitel.
