COPA decides to publicise names of tax defaulters

By Saman Indrajith

The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) has decided to publicise all the institutions which have failed to pay taxes.

The COPA met in Parliament on Wednesday and a special audit report on the taxes and penalties in default to be recovered from the taxpayers was taken into discussion during the meeting.

Chairman of the Committee Prof. Tissa Vitharana instructed the Inland Revenue Department to submit to the Committee a list of institutions that had failed to pay taxes within two months.

The Auditor General W.P.C. Wickramaratne, addressing the Committee, said that steps should be taken to recover the taxes urgently to boost the state revenue.

The COPA also took up for discussion the need for the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Finance to work together to expedite the settlement of a number of Inland Revenue cases pending in the courts.

Commissioner General of Inland Revenue H. M. W. C. Bandara raised the need to amend the law pertaining to tax deficit expeditiously.

Accordingly, Prof. Tissa Vitharana directed the Department of Inland Revenue to submit the relevant proposals with immediate effect.