Tourism secretary’s world tour

Jan 17, 2017

An assistant secretary of the Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs Ministry has gone overseas on 16 different occasions in the past year alone, say ministry sources. It is alleged she uses powers of her position and swindles all the government and foreign scholarships and seminar opportunities available for ministry staff. She takes part in foreign seminars as a representative of Sri Lanka but she does not have the requisite English proficiency.

A top entrepreneur in the tourism hotel sector told us that even at Tourism Board directors’ meetings, she starts her speeches in halting broken English, but ends up speaking in Sinhala. It is very damaging to the image of Sri Lanka when she addresses seminars attended by foreign investors and representatives in broken English, he told our correspondent.

When top government officials go overseas on official duty, they are paid a daily allowance of 750 Euros from public money. But, that is only if the organizers of the seminars or the training sessions do not provide food and accommodation. In the event such facilities are provided, it is illegal and against state administration regulations to obtain that allowance. However, this assistant secretary has obtained this allowance at some of the foreign training programmes which have provided all these facilities, it is alleged. It is the ministry’s responsibility to investigate these allegations.

We will keep a watch on what action the ‘Yahapaalana’ government takes against state officials who swindle training opportunities and obtain duty allowances in this manner.