President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that he has taken measures to reduce expenditure under the President’s budget wherever possible, with the aim of safeguarding every rupee of public funds.
Speaking at the inauguration of the ‘National Tax Week’, held at the Presidential Secretariat, the President reiterated his commitment to ensuring that every taxpayer’s contribution is protected.
He emphasized that this marks the first significant step towards minimizing the misuse of public money.
The President further stated that the government will introduce digitalization to enhance the efficiency of public services, aiming to dismantle what he referred to as the “black mechanism” within the state apparatus.
He stressed the importance of establishing a system in which the rule of law prevails and all citizens are held equally accountable.
“The issue of tax revenue is not merely about paying and collecting taxes. It involves a deeply rooted, interconnected network. While it’s easy to blame institutions such as Customs and Excise, doing so alone is ineffective. This is a systemic issue that must be dismantled. Unless this mechanism is broken, the country will not progress. In fact, it may descend further into crisis,” he said.
President Dissanayake assured the business community that if they operate fairly and pay their taxes honestly, the state has an obligation to protect them.
“Therefore, I invite all taxpayers—You pay, and we will protect every rupee. If a single rupee is wasted or misused, we will take all necessary legal steps to address it,” he pledged.
The National Tax Week, titled “Badu Shakthi”, will run from today until June 7. During this week, the Inland Revenue Department will undertake various initiatives to raise public awareness about tax responsibilities and procedures.
In a significant move towards modernization, starting from the assessment year 2024–2025, all tax payment reports must be submitted exclusively through the Inland Revenue Department’s new online platform.
The platform was officially launched this morning and symbolically received its first tax submission under the patronage of President Dissanayake.
