Pubudu Jagoda, Colombo district candidate of the People’s Struggle Alliance, has raised serious concerns about Epic Lanka’s claims regarding their authority to issue passports in Sri Lanka. Speaking at a press conference in Nugegoda recently, he called for an urgent investigation into whether an agreement exists between the company and the Department of Immigration and Emigration, allowing Epic Lanka to exercise such power.
Jagoda highlighted that Epic Lanka, previously embroiled in a data fraud controversy with the National Drug Regulatory Corporation, continues to assert legal rights over passport issuance, despite not being awarded the contract. He explained that while the government recently prioritized enhanced security by introducing e-passports embedded with chips, the tender was awarded to Just in Time—a company aligned with the French-based Thales Group—after meeting all qualifications and submitting the lowest bid.
Despite these decisions, Epic Lanka’s claims have led to significant delays in implementing the new e-passport system, resulting in extensive processing backlogs and long queues at passport offices. Jagoda noted that although Just in Time is now handling an estimated 750,000 passports, Epic Lanka still demands $1.45 per issued passport. This, he argued, amounts to nearly a million dollars in unnecessary expenditure that burdens the Sri Lankan taxpayer.
“The government has no right to grant a million dollars of public funds to Epic Lanka for a service they are not actively providing,” Jagoda stated emphatically, urging authorities to act swiftly to halt any financial transfers and scrutinize the legal basis of Epic Lanka’s claims.
