To promote its tourism sector, Sri Lanka has simplified travel for visitors. According to the latest reports, Sri Lanka has restarted its online visa application platform. This follows the suspension of a multimillion-dollar outsourcing agreement earlier awarded to a foreign consortium, VFS Global. The government of newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the move was aimed at boosting the island nation’s key tourism sector, as its economy still bears the brunt of the 2022 financial crisis.

Now, tourists will be able to apply for a visa online without paying the $25 charged by India-based VFS Global. In August the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka ordered immigration authorities to revert to the online platform that was used before the award to VFS.

“The visa facility provided by VFS Global has caused significant difficulties for many people,” Dissanayake’s office said in a statement.

The report also said that the process was earlier halted as the outsourcing arrangement came under scrutiny. This happened due to allegations that the contract was not awarded in a transparent manner. Concerns over the deal noted that the consortium had the potential to earn up to $2.75 billion over a 16-year period. Subsequently, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka intervened and ordered the immigration authorities to revert to the online visa application platform that existed before the outsourcing agreement with VFS Global.

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