Fisheries Ministry fails to recover Rs.50 million adv. payment despite a firm having not honoured contract agreement

By Sujith Hewajulige

The Fisheries Ministry has failed to recover an advance payment of over Rs. 50 million that was paid nine years ago for a construction firm to construct an anchorage in the sea off Kaikawala in Galle, despite the firm having not even commenced work of the anchorage yet, according to a report by the National Audit Office.  
The construction firm has abandoned the construction work as it had failed to secure a licence for the job.  
The Fisheries Ministry had signed two agreements worth Rs. 240 million with the firm in question for the construction of the anchorage in 2014, according to the report. The agreed upon time period for the construction was one year, but the ministry has failed yet to recover the advance payment it paid to the firm, despite the fact that the company has failed at least to commence construction work for the past nine years.