Issue of passports: The delay is at our overseas missions

This refers to the letter by Mr. Nimal who had queried the delay in the issue of passports at Sri Lanka’s overseas missions (the Sunday Times of July 5).

If an applicant submits an application it should be sent in the weekly mail bag to the Department of Immigration. Within a week, the department issues the passport and sends it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If the Ministry sends it in the weekly mail bag, the applicant could receive the passport within five weeks.

The delay normally is at our overseas missions. This should be looked into by the Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Controller of Immigration and Emigration.

Sri Lankans living here upon paying Rs. 5,000 receive passports within 6-7 hours the same day. Sri Lankan paying US$ 170 (Rs. 23,000) should not be denied an efficient service. (Former Controller of Immigration and

Emigration)

I was happy to note that former Auditor General S. C. Mayadunne has been included in the National List of the JVP.

As a depositor of The Finance and Guarantee (Developers) Ltd., I have seen the good work he had done for the benefit of the depositors when he was the chairman of a trust which was formed following a Supreme Court ruling. The trust was to help the depositors of the two failed finance companies -- The Finance & Guarantee (Developers) and the Finance & Guarantee (Real Estate) Companies. This trust had compiled, to a great extent, the assets and liabilities statements of these two companies in a bid to find ways and means of repaying the depositors, but it could not complete the work.

Now that he is coming forward to Parliament as a JVP National List candidate, we the depositors of the two failed finance companies can have some consolation that he will champion our cause.

Disgusted depositor