Mahinda Samarasinghe Pulled In Favor Of Dhammika Perera: Indian Tug-Boat Operator Petitions Procurement Commission

India’s leading tug-boat operator, Ocean Sparkle, is to appeal to the National Procurement Commission, an independent commission set up under the 19th amendment to the constitution, against what they term as arbitrary, factually incorrect and contradictory cabinet paper that is to be presented at today’s cabinet meeting (Tuesday, August 14th, 2018) by the Minister of Ports and Shipping (MPS), Mahinda Samarasinghe, recommending the award of a tender for a charter of three harbour tugs to Ceylon Shipping Company Limited, a company coming under magnate Dhammika Perera’s Hayleys Group.

Colombo Telegraph last week reported the serious concerns being expressed by foreign missions, overseas investors, and local contractors over a clear breakdown of Sri Lanka’s Procurement Appeals Process for large scale, Cabinet level Procurements related to Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committees, (SCAPC), Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committees (CAPC) and Cabinet Appointed Negotiating Committees (CANC) and published a letter written by Ocean Sparkle’s Chairman and Managing Director, P. Jairaj Kumar, to Minister of Finance and Mass Media, Mangala Samaraweera, averring that the they were given to understand the MPS has submitted a cabinet paper without providing the complete background and set of facts in relation to its submission, appeal and the decision by the Procurement Appeals Board (functioning under the presidential secretariat) and requesting Minister Samaraweera to reconsider the cabinet paper.

Colombo Telegraph is in possession of the cabinet paper in its entirety and requested the company give their opinion on a point by point basis to the contents of the paper.  Published below is the relevant paragraphs from the cabinet paper and the opinion expressed by Ocean Sparkle.