Sri Lanka’s Cabinet has opted to resume ordering passports from its former supplier following a court ruling, with plans to issue a tender for future orders once the current supply of 750,000 passport booklets is exhausted, Minister Vijitha Herath announced.
Minister Herath, addressing the media post-cabinet meeting, confirmed that the initial batch is expected by next Monday. He noted that the previous supplier had agreed in court to provide passports at a set price.
“Due to the urgent demand, we approved an order for 750,000 passports to be delivered in batches,” Herath explained. “We anticipate receiving the first batch by Saturday, allowing new passports to be issued by Monday.”
He further noted that the current supply is projected to last around four to five months, after which the government will initiate a tender process for additional orders. However, tenders for e-passports are not being called at this time, as per the court’s direction.