The Hon. K. Kader Masthan

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for permitting me under Standing Order 27(2) to raise a Question to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism.

¶ 02 Hundreds of thousands of our citizens live abroad for employment and higher studies. They also travel back to meet families and attend family events. Their remittances earn vital foreign exchange for Sri Lanka. Yet, when the validity of their passports expires, they face long delays and many difficulties in renewing them. These must be avoided. I therefore ask: 1) If all required documents are submitted at our Missions abroad, within how many days will a renewed passport be issued? 2) What is the number of applications received in 2024, in previous years, and in 2025 to date, and how many were renewed and issued in each of those years? 3) Why are some passports delayed even when complete applications with all required documentation are submitted? 4) Are there any irregularities behind such delays, and what mechanisms exist to monitor and prevent them? Given the common allegation that current procedures cause delays, can an improved process be introduced?