Delay in proposals straps Tourist Board spending

More than Rs. 350 million in the tourism cess fund, now controlled by the Treasury, hasn’t been disbursed due to Tourist Board (SLTB) delays in proposals on the use of such funds, Tourism Ministry officials said.

“The Sri Lanka Tourist Board has been asked for its plans for these funds and this is awaited,” an official said.

In April, Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera brought the cess fund under Treasury control from the SLTB to be managed by a committee comprising him, the Tourism Secretary and the board chairman.

Stating that these funds were being abused by the SLTB without proper accountability, the Treasury circular stated that all monies for tourism development work would be channelled through this committee on a month-by-month basis.

Thus since April these funds from the industry have been unspent, the official said, adding that the Board still had around Rs. 400 to 500 million from last year’s collections for its operations.