The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake

¶ 01 Hon. Member, on driving licences, it is not accurate that nothing was issued for two years, though there were delays. We cleared the backlog of around 1.1 million by last April. The DMT has long been entangled with multiple digital solution vendors. Over about a decade, lack of institutional capacity, coupled with past ministers’ and commissioners’ corruption and vendor lock-in, left knowledge almost entirely with vendors. Contracts had lapsed yet systems were not updated. Ordinary web solutions costing Rs. 5 million were procured for around Rs. 290 million. We are addressing this legacy.

¶ 02 Specifically, we are now issuing licences and developing a new licence with updated features. On number plates, one company operated without a valid agreement. We engaged them to avert collapse, even while a former DMT head was in custody. Tender procedures are now completed; we expect to issue number plates by 15 November with enhanced security features. Interim solutions may commence before that date as well.