Sri Lanka's Public Security Minister announced on Monday (22) that facilities will be provided to establish 50 new regional offices across the country to ease the process of issuing passports.

"We have taken measures to address the issue in providing passports. We were informed that money was obtained for appointments. We decided to deploy our teams, and we arrested 16 people who obtained money for such purposes on Friday, and arrests were made before as well. A person attached to the department was also arrested," he told reporters.

"In order to solve the issue, we will open 50 new centers to obtain photographs and fingerprints for the passport process. These centers will be at Divisional Secretariats. Then no one will have to travel all the way to Colombo, they can easily get the service from the regional office by first downloading the application and thereafter, the passport will be sent home within three days," the Minister elaborated further. 

Speaking in Colombo, the Minister said that 5 new centers will be opened in order to facilitate the process of obtaining National Identity Cards.