9 December 2016 12:05 am
Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake making a sudden inspection tour of the Inland Revenue Department, the official tax collector in the country, said the government is keen to relieve the public from the current tax burden.
He said to achieve such targets, government bodies such as Inland Revenue Department, which collects revenue for the government should be strengthened.
We all know what had been done to this country by the previous regime which ruled for several years. The annual loss of Hambantota port itself is Rs.37, 000 million. We are compelled to repay such huge loans with the income generated by Colombo Port.
In the meantime, certain people question us the way we are gradually correcting their economic blunders. We should tell openly that we are not going to put any of these encumbrances on the shoulders of the people”, the minister stressed.
Minister Karunanayake visited several vital sections of the department and inquired from the employees about their career difficulties.
Facilities for new technology which are currently available inside the head office building and availability of opportunities for the workers to use them were especially discussed by the minister during his visit yesterday.
The minister pointed out the necessity to expand the hotline center of the department for the customer convenience. He also said that some people are scared of the Inland Revenue Department, and such unfounded fears should be eliminated from their minds.