June 02, Colombo (LNW): President Anura Kumara Dissanayake underscored his administration’s firm commitment to safeguarding public funds, revealing that substantial reductions have already been made to discretionary spending under the presidential budget.
His remarks came during the formal inauguration of National Tax Week, held at the Presidential Secretariat, where he reiterated that every rupee entrusted to the state by the people must be used with utmost responsibility.
In a strongly worded address, the President emphasised that this commitment to frugality is not merely symbolic but represents a decisive shift in how public finances are managed.
He framed it as the first concrete step in dismantling entrenched inefficiencies and misuse of resources within the state apparatus. At the heart of this effort, he noted, is a mission to reinforce public confidence by ensuring every taxpayer’s contribution is treated with respect and protected from waste or corruption.
President Dissanayake spoke candidly about the systemic flaws that have long plagued Sri Lanka’s revenue ecosystem. Rather than placing blame solely on high-profile departments such as Customs or Excise, he described a far more entrenched “black mechanism” of interlinked inefficiencies and corruption within state institutions. He warned that unless this network is dismantled through genuine reform, the country risks sliding deeper into economic stagnation.
As part of this broader reform effort, the President announced plans to accelerate the digital transformation of government services. He said that digitalisation would not only improve service delivery but also serve as a powerful tool in bringing transparency and accountability to areas vulnerable to manipulation or abuse.
By introducing technology into tax collection and administrative procedures, the government aims to eliminate room for malpractice and ensure the rule of law applies uniformly across all sectors of society.
Speaking directly to the business community and the wider public, President Dissanayake made a pledge: those who contribute to the nation’s development through honest tax compliance will be protected. He assured taxpayers that the government views its duty to protect their contributions as paramount, and that any misuse of funds would trigger swift legal consequences. “If you pay, we will protect every rupee. If a single rupee is squandered, legal action will follow,” he stated firmly.
National Tax Week, which will continue until 7 June, is being observed under the theme “Badu Shakthi”, or “Power of Tax”. The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) will lead a range of educational and outreach efforts to increase public understanding of tax responsibilities and procedures. The campaign seeks to promote a culture of voluntary compliance and to expand the country’s tax base.
In a significant development marking the start of this initiative, the President also officiated the launch of the IRD’s new digital platform, which will now serve as the exclusive portal for tax report submissions from the 2024–2025 assessment year onwards.
This move, officials say, represents a pivotal moment in the modernisation of Sri Lanka’s tax administration and will enhance the efficiency, traceability and integrity of financial declarations.
