Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) still has millions of rupees owed to companies from transactions made under the 2010-2015 (up to January) administration, the payment of which had been delayed due to audits, said tourism ministry secretary Janaka Sugathadasa.
The inability to quickly pay off these debts will delay a campaign announced for launch in May.
Janaka, at a media briefing last week to announce hosting the annual PATA Conference in Sri Lanka next month, told reporters that the government owes US$500,000 to three TV stations – Al Jazeera, Bloomberg and Sky News – for a media campaign that ran from September 2014 to March 2015.
Some US$200,000 was paid under the previous administration, but the remaining debt lingered while an audit was carried out by the Tourism Ministry over these dues and other alleged irregularities up to 2015.
SLTPB has another 600 million rupees (nearly US$4 million) in unsettled liabilities that came out of sponsorships and promotions undertaken during the previous regime. The tourism secretary said the debt will be settled and the amount was being verified.
