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Retired IRD boss opens up tax advice shop

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A group of retired officials of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has launched a consultancy service to help several tax payers they made friends with while still working at IRD to further reduce the tax amount to be paid ultimately depriving the country of a considerable amount in tax revenue, Sri Lanka Mirror learnt.

The consultancy service has been launched by IRD official N.M.M. Mifly retired on July 21.

After retiring from the IRD, he started a tax consultancy service called MIFA in Bambalapitiya.

Mifly has sent detailed messages and e-mails to several taxpayers who are close friends about his new tax consultancy firm.

More focus on money launderers

It was reported that Mifly, while in the IRD, has handled the duties of tax policy formulation and international taxation.

It was also revealed that he has taken the lead in collecting a 1% small tax for undisclosed incomes according to the tax reforms introduced in 2021.

IRD trade union sources said that businessmen who benefitted from the tax exemption to launder black money were able to carry out their work easily with Mifly’s support.

Though it is necessary to inform the tax officials about the taxpayers who have disclosed their income in order to execute tax audits efficiently in the coming years, it was reported Mifly and the current Commissioner General have not released the necessary information so far.  

A trade union leader told us that Mifly, who was hoping to open up a tax consultancy firm after retirement, has issued a circular for internal tax audits to IRD officials through the Commissioner General in favour of these moves.

Due to this circular, the tax audit process which has been conducted so far according to the Act has been disrupted and a conflict has been created between the upper administration and the lower officials.

Rukdevi misses out on Oscar due to overacting

Meanwhile, it was reported that an officer named Rukdevi Fernando who was vying for Mifly’s post has pretended to explain the circular to the officials in a hurry on the day of Mifly’s retirement, in order to get rid of the issues she may have to face in the future. However, she had not been able to provide proper answers to the officials regarding the circular.

Internal sources said that due to this document, tax audit activities have been hampered and that it would make an impact on the overall tax revenue of the country.

It was rumoured that IRD Commissioner General Ranjith Hapuarachchi, who is about to retire in a few days, is also willing to join ‘MIFA’.

Commenting on this, a former IRD Commissioner General said that it is not ethical for the retiring officers to work together with the taxpayers externally.

Accordingly, he said that a retired officer should be prevented from engaging in work-related matters at least for three years upon retirement.

He also said that such situations should be rectified immediately in order to create a transparent tax system and to increase the confidence of the taxpayer.

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Passengers jump from plane’s wing after fire alert on Spain flight, triggers panic

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Wildfires have broken out on an island and in towns near Athens in Greece, with blazes also being sparked in Turkey and Syria.

The Hellenic Fire Service and local authorities said that two villages – Tsakeoi and Limnionas – had been evacuated on the island of Evia after the blaze started late on Friday.

One fire service official said more than 160 firefighters, 46 trucks and five aircraft were deployed in southern Evia to put out the fire.

Southern Evia, to the east of Athens, was one of several regions in Greece placed on high alert for wildfires over gale-force winds forecast for today.

Images from Koropi, a town to the southwest of Athens, also show houses burnt down and helicopters dropping water on burning forests.

It marks the latest wildfires to break out in Greece – where blazes are common during the summer – as it tackles strong winds and dry conditions amid an early summer heatwave in southern Europe.

Officials have linked the conditions to at least nine deaths across the continent.

A wildfire broke out in Achlia on the island of Crete on Wednesday, forcing thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate – with some taken to a nearby basketball arena and hotels in safer parts of the island.

The fire service official told Reuters on Friday that the fire in Crete was largely contained.

Meanwhile, blazes have also broken out on Turkey’s west coast – the latest in a series of blazes which started in late June – as well as its southerly neighbour Syria.

At least five fires have been reported in Izmir after extreme heat, strong winds and low humidity. Two people have been killed by the blazes, while tens of thousands have been evacuated.

Fires also flared on both sides of the Turkish-Syrian border on Friday, with a new blaze reported near the town of Dortyol in Turkey’s border province of Hatay.

According to Syria’s Civil Defence, wildfires have spread across large parts of mountainous areas in the Latakia province.

The government department added that conditions have hampered efforts to bring the fire under control, and noted unexploded ordnance could be in some of the areas affected.

Source: SKY NEWS

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CBSL extends Perpetual Treasuries suspension for six months

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The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has decided to extend the suspension of Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) from carrying on the business and activities of a Primary Dealer for a further period of six months.

The extension is with effect from 4.30 p.m. on 05th July 2025, in order to continue the investigations being conducted by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

The suspension has been extended by CBSL acting in terms of the Regulations made under the Registered Stock and Securities Ordinance and the Local Treasury Bills Ordinance.

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Kataragama Basnayake Nilame pressured over complaint against Kapuwas’ donation misuse

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It has been reported that Dishan Wickramaratne Gunasekara – the Basnayake Nilame of the historic Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya, is facing pressure including from several parties including political circles to withdraw his complaint lodged against the custodians (Kapu Mahattaya) of the devalaya.

The issue had arisen after it was discovered that some custodians were collecting money into their own tills instead of allowing them to be deposited in the official donation box.

Public discussion about the transparency of the temple’s donations intensified after the Basnayake Nilame had begun using a portion of the funds for community projects like hospital construction.

Traditionally, devotees often handed donations directly to the custodians, but the Basnayake Nilame had urged the public via media to place offerings only in the official donation box managed by the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs.

He subsequently arranged a proper audit of all such donations for the first time.

In response, some custodians had reportedly begun pressuring devotees near the official box to hand over donations to them instead.

Upon learning of this, the Basnayake Nilame had lodged a complaint with the Kataragama Police, arguing that diverting funds from the official box amounts to fraudulent misappropriation.

Acting on the complaint, police arrested 02 custodians who were collecting offerings near the official box.

However, other custodians then surrounded the police station and pressured the officers to release the arrested individuals, resulting in their release.

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