An article has been published by the online news portal “The Vibes” dated 7.5.2023 titled “Fresh Scandal Brewing at HR Ministry?” (the Article) containing serious allegations on HRD Corp’s conduct pertaining to the contract and procurement process of the Skills Passport initiative. The Article contained false and defamatory statements that have caused serious damage to HRD Corp’s reputation and integrity.

The Vibes had not made any attempt to contact HRD Corp prior to publication of the misleading article to enable us to provide our answers to the incorrect statements contained in the Article. This is disappointing and does not reflect a good or ethical standard of journalism by The Vibes.

The matters addressed in the letter have been answered and resolved at HRD Corp’s Board Meetings. In addition, we trust that the contents of the letter are protected under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) 1972 and were not meant for public consumption and media publication.

At HRD Corp, we have always been committed to preserving the highest standards of ethics, transparency and integrity. We take serious offence to the incorrect allegations in the Article. We will not allow such baseless allegations to go unchallenged and we will be taking all necessary actions to defend our reputation and protect our interests.

To that end, we have instructed our lawyers to initiate legal action to ensure the retraction of the Article and an apology from “The Vibes”.

We understand that this situation may be of concern to the public and our stakeholders, and we want to assure you that we are doing everything possible to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.

We will keep you updated on any developments in this matter. We appreciate your continued support and understanding.

Thank you.
HRD CORP
7 May 2023