President Ranil Wickremesinghe has urged Sri Lankans not to rush to leave the country, assuring that the situation is improving and the nation is progressing towards digitalisation.
Speaking at a recent forum in Colombo as a presidential candidate, the President addressed concerns raised by professionals, including the long queues at the Immigration and Emigration Department. He announced that the new e-passport would be available within two weeks.
President Wickremesinghe apologised for the issues faced at the Immigration Department and explained that the government is transitioning from conventional passports to e-passports. He acknowledged delays in the procurement process and took responsibility on behalf of the government.
Despite criticism over the current passport shortage, the President assured that the situation would be resolved by October, with e-passports available to all. He stated that the department is working to issue more passports in the next two weeks and emphasised that the new e-passport would be more affordable than the current version.
He also appealed to the public for patience as the government moves to the next stage of digitalisation.
Source -dailymirror.lk
