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Officials in trouble due to Inland Revenue Dept. Chief’s naivety

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The number of active large taxpayers’ files registered with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) is less than 800 while the total number of taxpayers’ files is less than 350,000, Sri Lanka Mirror learns.

Accordingly, out of nearly 23 million people in the country, an income taxpayer has to support about 60 people who do not pay income tax.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the trade unions of the IRD are preparing to request the government to increase the number of taxpayers in order to bring down the current high income tax rate.

Their opinion is that the tax burden imposed on the people can be reduced when the number of taxpayers increases.

It is also said that the target of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is to collect taxes correctly from large taxpayers, and to bring medium-sized taxpayers on the right path and turn them into large taxpayers.

According to the financial policy arrangements of the Finance Ministry, it has been proposed to register taxpayers without further delay and increase the number of taxpayers. However, it was reported that the current IRD Commissioner General has no proper understanding of the situation and therefore, the programme has been abandoned.

The trade unions accused the commissioner general of neglecting these matters and focusing on his retirement in August instead.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Mirror learnt that a group of accomplices of the Commissioner are attempting to open up about a million tax files.

It was also reported that the recruitments made to the newly established Revenue Management Department have also been made without any transparency.

Four people from the Inland Revenue Department have been appointed to this new division and six more are to be recruited.

However, these recruitments have been made at the discretion of the Finance Ministry without any interview or evaluation.

Meanwhile, it was also reported that many people in the field have criticized these appointments questioning the credibility of the appointees.

Sri Lanka Mirror learnt from a very reliable source that there are large taxpayers and retired people hiding behind these appointees.

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SL embassy in Tehran, relocated – Vijitha

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The Sri Lankan Embassy in Tehran, Iran has been relocated amid the prevailing situation, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told the Parliament today (June 17).

Embassy officials have also been moved due to the situation. In addition to embassy staff, eight Sri Lankan students who had been at the Embassy in Tehran have also been relocated to the northern part of Iran due to security concerns. 

However, all contact numbers remain operational, the minister added.

Herath said that approximately 35 Sri Lankans remain in Iran, with those residing in Tehran currently facing heightened risks. He also pointed out that nearly 20,000 Sri Lankans are presently in Israel.

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No risk of a fuel shortage – Nalinda

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Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa has assured that there is no risk of an impending fuel shortage in the country due to the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.

Speaking during the Cabinet briefing earlier today (June 17), he assured that Sri Lanka currently has adequate fuel reserves to meet national demand for at least two and a half months and and that necessary arrangements have been made to procure upcoming fuel shipments without any issues.

He urged the public not to be misled by such claims on social media.

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Internal Affairs Unit is established in Parliament

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In line with the vision to build a transparent and corruption-free public service, the Secretary General of Parliament has taken steps to establish an “Internal Affairs Unit” in Parliament in accordance with the circular PS/SB/Circular/2/2025 issued by the Presidential Secretariat on 18 February 2025.

The newly established unit aims to achieve several key objectives, including the prevention of corruption, promotion of a culture of integrity, ensuring accountability and transparency in all institutional operations, and guaranteeing public access to information related to parliamentary activities and decisions. Additionally, the unit will work to promote ethical governance, encourage reporting of misconduct, protect whistleblowers through secure and accessible mechanisms, and assist law enforcement agencies and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption in enforcing relevant laws.

Mr. Chaminda Kularatne, Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary General of Parliament, has been appointed as the Head of the Internal Affairs Unit, while Mr. W.K.D.C. Vithana has been designated as the Integrity Officer. All department heads of Parliament will serve as members of the unit, supported by a dedicated team representing all departments.

The unit held its inaugural meeting on June 6, 2025, under the leadership of Mr. Kularatne. The meeting focused on discussing the implementation procedures in accordance with the directives outlined in the circular.

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