President Emphasizes Lawful Mechanisms and Timely Tax Collection in Excise Department Discussion

 Yesterday (05), President Anura Kumara Dissanayake held a discussion with senior officials of the Excise Department at the Presidential Secretariat.

During the meeting, the President instructed the officials to implement a proper mechanism for issuing excise licenses and emphasized the necessity of enforcing the law without misuse of power. The discussion also addressed the importance of timely tax collection and the challenges in collecting excise taxes.

The President highlighted irregularities in the tax collection process and proposed new measures, including the collection of overdue taxes, banning licenses of blacklisted institutions, and addressing failures in tax recovery. The inadequacy of existing rules and regulations for tax collection and recruitment weaknesses in the excise officer system were also examined.

The discussion noted the public's lack of confidence in the Excise Department’s operations and stressed the importance of maintaining the department in a manner that supports the country’s economy. Additionally, attention was drawn to issues in production and packaging processes, including the harm caused by artificial toddy.

Commissioner of Excise Rohana Senarathna, Deputy Commissioner R.V.S. Tissa Kumara, Assistant Commissioner M.J. De Silva, Chief Financial Officer G.A. Chandani, Chief Accountant W.R. Paranagama, and other senior officials participated in the discussion.