Former Minister and current Member of Parliament Ajith Perera has stated that the government has decided to cancel the procurement process related to the controversial e-passport project with immediate effect.
According to Perera, the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, Chaminda Pathiraja, informed the relevant bidders of the decision via email on May 29, 2026.
The letter reportedly states: “We hereby officially inform that the Cabinet has ordered the cancellation of the procurement process of the above-mentioned project with immediate effect.”
The contract, titled “Issuance System and Relevant Public Key Infrastructure Components for Personalization of E-Passports for the Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka,” was issued under tender number DIE/PRO/PKI/2025. Bids for the procurement were called for last year.
However, the procurement process came under review after four unsuccessful bidders submitted appeals to the Procurement Appeals Board (PAB) on January 2, 2026. The appeals were heard on January 6, 2026, and a set of recommendations arising from the review has since been brought to the attention of the relevant authorities.
In the letter dated May 29, the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration further stated: “On behalf of the Department of Immigration and Emigration, we express our sincere appreciation for the time, effort and resources your organization has expended in preparing and submitting your bid. We greatly appreciate your interest in partnering with our Department and contributing to this public procurement process.”
