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SL to close down some overseas Consulates
Sri Lanka is considering closing down some of its Consulate offices in foreign countries in an apparent effort to cut down costs. The Sunday Times learns that the Consulate offices in Bonn, Los Angeles and Dubai have been earmarked to be closed down while down-sizing other Consulate offices or reducing their staff was also being considered.

This comes in the wake of a Foreign Ministry circular late last year stating that some of the overseas Sri Lankan missions were faced with severe financial losses due to inadequate resources from the Treasury.

The Ministry had pointed out that due to budgetary constraints some of the missions had not been able to pay the monthly salaries of their staff while some others were relying on temporary overdraft facilities.

Sri Lanka's Consulate in Bonn which has been identified to be closed down serves more than 65,000 Sri Lankans residing in the region. Last month Sri Lanka's Consulate General to Bonn, Gamini Kariyawasam who has already been recalled wrote to President Chandrika Kumaratunga citing reasons as to why the mission in Bonn should continue.

Mr. Kariyawasam had pointed out that the Consulate was operating on a profitable basis and they were able to cover their own expenditure and in addition assisted other Lankan missions in Paris, Berlin and Belgium.

He had pointed out that closing the mission would affect Sri Lankans who were being served by the mission in Bonn, as they would be forced to travel to the embassy in Berlin.

During last year the mission in Bonn issued more than 1100 visas and issued or renewed more than 3,500 passports. Over 1,400 emergency certificates were also issued.

Deputy Foreign Minister Prof. Vishwa Warnapala declined to comment saying it did not come under his purview while other officials were not available for comment.

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