Govt. to take over Smart Card driving licence project

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera   

Transport Service Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said yesterday the project involving the issuance of Smart Card driving licence would be taken over by the government within three months.  

The minister told this in Parliament responding to a question raised by JVP MP Nalinda Jayatissa that there had been massive financial irregularity behind the Smart Card driving licence project undertaken by a private company from 2009.   

MP Jayatissa said the Company called Metropolitan Group of Companies had violated conditions of the agreement signed to launch the project for seven years from 2009 and 2016 and pointed that the Company had earned an income of Rs. 6 billion so far.   

He said only 22,500 Smart Cards should be issued monthly following the agreement but about 55,000 to 60,000 cards are being issued violating the condition of the agreement.   
Minister Amaraweera said a committee has been appointed to look into the matter and added that the project would be taken over by the government within three months.   

He said the project should have been taken over by the government in 2016 in accordance with the agreement.     

• Only 22,500 Smart Cards should be issued monthly following the agreement but about 55,000 to 60,000 cards are being issued