This is despite the State Printing Corporation’s having a printing machine to print this and other security stickers.

Sources say excise commissioner general A. Bodaragama is behind this attempt.

When this tender was first called in 2016, the technical committee headed by him recommended to the cabinet to handover the task to the Indian company.

After other bidders raised objections, a fresh tender was called 28 February this year.

The technical committee has again recommended that Madras Security Printers be given the job, according to a letter sent by finance ministry’s additional secretary R. Semasinghe to other bidders.

Loss is Rs. 420 million

If the Indian company is given the job, that will cause a loss of Rs. 420 million to the state.

Also, a delay in getting the stickers ready will lose nearly Rs. 100 billion in excise income.

In the first instance, other bidders raised objections and subsequent investigations found that the Indian company has not fulfilled the requirements.

A second time, it has placed a 5.99 dollar bid to print one sticker, after submitting a three dollar rate in the first instance.

However, another bidder has placed a 4.57 dollar bid per sticker.