Colombo – Former parliamentarian and ex-chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), Charitha Herath, has called on the National People’s Power (NPP) government to immediately clarify its decision to import 1,775 new double cab vehicles through a competitive tender process.
Herath questioned the purpose and beneficiaries of such a large vehicle order, urging the government to disclose who stands to receive the vehicles. He specifically inquired whether members of parliament and heads of local government bodies are among the recipients.
According to Herath, the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development has limited the tender period for bidders to just 12 days (from October 23 to November 3) — a move he says requires an explanation from the authorities.
“The government must explain why such a massive tender was introduced within such a short timeframe. This scale of vehicle procurement has not been seen before in Sri Lanka’s history,” Herath said.
He also warned that the tender process could be structured to favor certain bidders, noting that “it cannot be ruled out that the tender has been designed to benefit specific parties.”
Herath further emphasized that the NPP government cannot afford to repeat the same irregular practices witnessed under previous administrations.
He pointed out that the transaction comes at a time when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is urging Sri Lanka to strengthen anti-corruption measures as part of its USD 2.9 billion bailout program. “In this context of international scrutiny, the government cannot turn a blind eye to such a deal,” he said.
Herath added that the government must also explain why such a large and costly import is necessary, especially when vehicles used by previous administrations were auctioned off rather than reused.
He urged the parliamentary opposition to raise the issue strongly and press the government to reconsider the double cab tender in light of financial constraints and transparency concerns.