News
COPA: Excise Dept. fails to collect Rs. 2.37 bn
By Saman Indrajith
A probe by the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) has revealed that the Excise Department failed to collect Rs. 2.37 billion as tax revenue last year.
The probe conducted by the COPA under the chairmanship of Prof Tissa Vitarana, on Monday, found the total amount of tax arrears due to the Excise Department for more than five years was Rs. 479.9 million as at December 31, 2019 and its delay charge alone amounted to Rs. 1.89 billion making the total outstanding amount Rs. 2.3762 billion .
COPA Chairman Prof. Vitarana ordered that prompt action be taken to recover the arrears.
The Commissioner General of Excise and other officials informed the Committee that legal action had been taken to recover the arrears.
The Committee noted that the Excise Department had conducted 224,737 raids during the last five years, and of them 53,848 were carried out in 2017, 49,278 raids in 2018 and 47,391 raids in 2019.
COPA Chairman Prof. Vitarana highlighted the fact that disciplinary inquiries against 48 Excise officers, suspended for various reasons as at Dec 31, 2019 had not been completed. He pointed that one to three years had elapsed since the suspension of those officers. It was revealed that some of the officers had been suspended for not attending the District Coordinating Committee meetings.
Prof. Vitarana instructed to complete legal proceedings expeditiously. The Chairman emphasised that immediate steps should be taken to fill the vacancies of senior and middle management posts, following proper procedure.
The Committee also noted that the security sticker management process with a procurement cost of Rs. 1,597,559 by November 2020 was limited to imported foreign liquor, which accounted for only 0.28% of the total revenue of the Excise Department. The Committee stressed that it was an essential programme to standardise the local produced liquor as well.
The probe was conducted by COPA chaired by Prof. Vitarana and State Ministers Dayasiri Jayasekara, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Shehan Semasinghe, and Members Tissa Attanayake, Dr. Upul Galappaththi, Prof. Ranjith Bandara and Secretary to the Treasury and Ministry of Finance S.R. Attygalle. Commissioner General of Excise A. Bodaragama and other senior officials of the Excise Department were also present.
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IMF Executive Board approves US$206 Million in Emergency Financial Support for Sri Lanka
The IMF Executive Board approved emergency financing under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI), providing Sri Lanka with immediate access to SDR 150.5 million (about US$206 million,
equivalent to 26 percent of quota) to help Sri Lanka address the urgent needs arising from the catastrophic Cyclone Ditwah and preserve macroeconomic stability.
In response to severe weather impacts, the Sri Lanka Navy conducted a diving and technical assistance operation on Friday (19 Dec 25) to clear major debris obstructing vital infrastructure.
Heavy rainfall caused a significant rise in the water level of the Mahaweli River, washed large quantities of debris, including logs and bamboo, downstream. These remain lodged in the Diyakapanathota in Gatambe, Peradeniya and Lewella bridges, obstructing the smooth flow of water.
Acting promptly upon request, a Navy diving team executed a coordinated operation in collaboration with the Road Development Authority. The team removed the accumulated debris, restoring normal water flow through the bridges.
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Landslide early warnings issued to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Kurunegala, Matale and Nuwara-Eliya extended till 8AM on Sunday (21)
The Landslide Early Warning Centre of the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) has extended the Landslide Early Warning issued to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Kurunegala, Matale and Nuwara-Eliya till 08:00AM on Sunday (21st December 2025)
The LEVEL III RED landslide early warnings issued to the Divisional Secetaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Medadumbara, Doluwa, Ududumbara and Minipe in the Kandy district, and Nildandahinna, Hanguranketha, Mathurata and
Walapane have been extended.
LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have also been issued to the Divisional Secetaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Soranathota, Hali_Ela, Passara, Meegahakivula, Badulla, Lunugala and Kandeketiya in the Badulla district, Thumpane, Harispattuwa, Udapalatha, Kundasale, Akurana, Poojapitiya, Udunuwara, Pathadumbara, Pasbage Korale, Gangawata Korale, Hatharaliyadda, Yatinuwara, Ganga Ihala Korale, Panvila, Pathahewaheta and Deltota in the Kandy district, Rideegama in the Kurunegala district, Ukuwela, Naula, Matale, Ambanganga Korale, Rattota, Pallepola, Wilgamuwa, Yatawatta and Laggala Pallegama in the Matale district, and Nuwara-Eliya in the Nuwara-Eliya district.
LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secetaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Uva Paranagama, Welimada, Haputhale, Haldummulla, Ella and
Bandarawela in the Badulla district, Alawwa, Mallawapitiya,
Polgahawela and Mawathagama in the Kurunegala district, and Kothmale East, Ambagamuwa Korale, Kothmale West, Thalawakele and Norwood in the Nuwara-Eliya district.
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Landslide early warnings issued to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Kurunegala, Matale and Nuwara-Eliya extended till 8AM on Sunday (21)
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