Video: VIP charter flights triggering UL nosedive - UNP

12 June 2012 10:20 am

The main opposition UNP today charged that the government has to be held responsible for the huge losses incurred by Sri Lankan Airlines amounting to Rs. 24 billion – largely triggered due to charter flights by VIPs.

Speaking to journalists, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said the government top brass used the national carrier Sri Lankan Airlines to visit more than 20 countries since mid-2010 and most of these flights had been chartered.

Adding to it, he said External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris visited more than 15 countries during the past several months and millions of rupees spent on these visits had gone down the drain as they failed to bring fruitful results for the country. He recalled that the External Affairs Minister failed to defeat the UNHRC resolution brought on behalf of the country despite visits to many countries to win their support.

Also, he said Sri Lankan Airlines was one of the several monsters which ate up the country’s economy. Mr. Attanayake said the CPC, Mihin Lanka, Sri Lanka Transport Board were some of these loss-making state institutions that have become monsters.
He said the CPC had not been able to give concessions to the people despite the reduction of prices in the global market because of its losses and wastage. (Yohan Perera and Nishan Casseem)

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