News
Uncollected taxes, penalties and interest now amount to Rs 943 bn
IRD won’t takeover RAMIS for want of qualified personnel
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has told the parliamentary watchdog Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) that it couldn’t fully take over the Revenue Administration Management Information System aka RAMIS for want of sufficient number of qualified personnel.
Top management of the IRD said so when COPA Chairman Lasantha Alagiyawanna (SLPP), during proceedings, asked them whether they could run RAMIS on its own. This is Alagiyawanna’s second stint as COPA Chairman.
According to a press release dated Nov 18 issued by Janakantha Silva, Parliament Director Legislative Services / Director Communication (Acting), the IRD management had declined to operate RAMIS on its own due to the absence of required personnel. The IRD comes under the Finance Ministry.
The shocking claim of being understaffed has been made, just two days after President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance Minister projected a total tax revenue at 4.1 trillion rupees for next year, sharply higher than 2.85 trillion rupees in the current year, with the biggest jump coming from the goods and services tax receipts.
Lawmaker Alagiyawanna, who is also the State transport Minister has called for a comprehensive report on the tax collected under various clarifications, as well as uncollected taxes, penalties and interests, amounting to Rs 943 bn.
The Island yesterday (19) sought an explanation from State Minister Alagiyawanna regarding the failure on the part of successive governments, including the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa administration, to streamline revenue collection, particularly against the suspension of the USD 2.9 bn IMF loan package, due to revenue shortfall.
Lawmaker Alagiyawanna acknowledged that the government was struggling with the issue. In spite of spending as much as Rs 17 bn on RAMIS, the system is not fully functional, the COPA Chief said, adding that collection of unpaid taxes remained a daunting task.
According to COPA records, in terms of both RAMIS and Legacy systems, unpaid taxes, penalties and interests as at Dec 31, 2022 amounted to Rs 904 bn. The SLFPer said they hadn’t been able to overcome problems and various issues relating to massive arrears in tax payments though many discussions took place over the years. As at June 30, 2022, the total amount of arrears in taxes, penalties, and interest amounted to Rs. 773 bn.
Responding to another query, the State Minister said that the government was yet to make a permanent appointment for the post of Commissioner General, IRD. The post fell vacant over three months ago. D.U.A. Jayawardhana currently serves as Commissioner General, in an acting capacity.
Auditor General W.P.C. Wickremeratne has complained to COPA that the IRD continuously refused to divulge contractual information as per the terms and conditions of the agreement with the Singaporean company, NCS, a subsidiary of Singapore’s Singtel. Wickremeratne has questioned the rationale in the IRD’s refusal, claiming that the agreement is technically between the two governments.
State Minister Alagiyawanne said that the arrears in uncollected taxes, penalties and interests continued to grow rapidly over the years as successive governments struggled to cope up with the revenue collection system, comprising IRD, Customs and Excise.
Former Minister and ex-Chairman COPE Dew Gunasekera told The Island that the government should immediately take tangible measures to streamline revenue collection. The former Communist Party Chief and former IRD officer emphasized that the government’s goal should be to gradually bring down the total amount of arrears in taxes, penalties and interest. A cohesive action plan is required to address this issue, the ex-lawmaker said, calling for an all-party consensus on this matter as the economy was in dire straits.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
