A progress review meeting on reforms and modernisation initiatives at Sri Lanka’s key state revenue-collecting institutions was held on Thursday (15) at the Presidential Secretariat, chaired by Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, with the participation of representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and officials of the Revenue Administration, Reform and Modernisation Bureau (RARMB) of the Presidential Secretariat.
At the meeting, the IMF representatives commended the revenue collection efficiency of the Department of Inland Revenue, Sri Lanka Customs and the Department of Excise, the country’s three leading state revenue-collecting institutions. Extensive discussions were also held on the progress of the reform and modernisation programmes being implemented at these institutions.
Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake outlined the progress achieved by the three institutions to date and the reforms planned for implementation in the future.
The IMF representatives also highlighted the importance of strengthening risk management, developing human resources and ensuring the efficient operation of computer systems at the respective institutions.
Senior Additional Secretary to the President Seevali Arukgoda also attended the meeting. The IMF was represented by Cindy Negus, Senior Economist in Revenue Administration for the Asia and Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Central Asia regions; Alison Lister, Revenue Administration Adviser; and Gregory Toppin, Resident Revenue Adviser in Sri Lanka. A group of senior officials from the Revenue Administration, Reform and Modernisation Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat also participated.
(President’s Media Division)