Sri Lanka President holds key discussion with Excise Department officials

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake held an important meeting today (March 11) with officials of the Excise Department at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.

The discussions focused on addressing the department’s current challenges and achieving this year’s revenue targets.

A significant topic of the meeting was the integration of the Excise Department’s operations with the Inland Revenue Department to enhance efficiency and fairness in tax collection. The discussion also emphasized the need for efficient and effective regulation of alcohol and other approved intoxicants to support economic growth.

Key areas of focus included increasing state revenue through the proper regulation of the alcohol and tobacco industries, facilitating legal revenue generation, enforcing compliance with laws and regulations, and implementing strong awareness programs against illegal alcohol, hazardous drugs, and psychoactive substances.

The importance of preventing health risks associated with unregulated alcohol consumption and ensuring public safety was also highlighted.

The meeting further explored ways to improve revenue collection and protection through an effective decision-making and management mechanism in both strategic and operational activities.

Additionally, the necessity of developing a human resource and technological advancement plan to enhance the Excise Department’s efficiency was discussed.

The meeting was attended by Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Commissioner General of Excise Udaya Kumara Perera, and a group of Excise Department officials.

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