Sri Lanka halts controversial e-passport tender with immediate effect: Ajith Perera MP

The government has decided to terminate the procurement process for the controversial e-passport project with immediate effect, according to former Minister and Ajith Perera.

Perera said Controller General of Immigration Chaminda Pathiraja had notified relevant bidders via email on 29 May 2026 regarding the decision.

The letter stated: “This is to formally inform you that the Cabinet of Ministers has directed the termination of the procurement process for the aforementioned project with immediate effect.”

The contract concerned was titled “Issuance System and Relevant Public Key Infrastructure Components for Personalization of E-Passports to the Department of Immigration & Emigration Sri Lanka” under IFB No. DIE/PRO/PKI/2025.

Bids for the procurement were invited last year.

The procurement process subsequently came under review following appeals lodged by four unsuccessful bidders with the Procurement Appeal Board (PAB) on 2 January 2026. The appeals were heard on 6 January 2026, resulting in a series of recommendations that are currently under consideration by the relevant authorities.

In the same letter dated 29 May 2026, Pathiraja stated: “On behalf of the Department of Immigration and Emigration, we would like to express our sincere appreciation for the time, effort, and resources your organization invested in preparing and submitting your bid. We deeply value your interest in partnering with our department and participating in this public procurement initiative.”