COPA to expose list of institutions that fail to pay due levy

The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) has decided to publicize all the institutions which have failed to pay the due levy by submitting a list of such institutions to the media.

The decision was taken during its meeting held yesterday (06).

Chairman of COPA Prof. Tissa Vitharana instructed the Inland Revenue Department to submit to the Committee a list of institutions that have failed to pay the due levy within two months.

Auditor-General W.P.C. Wickramaratne addressing the Committee stated that steps should be taken to recover the levy which is due as soon as possible, thereby increasing the government revenue.

The COPA also took into the discussion the need for the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Finance to work together in order to expedite the settlement of a number of Inland Revenue cases pending in the courts.

Commissioner General of Inland Revenue Mr. H.M.W.C. Bandara raised the need to amend the law pertaining to tax deficit expeditiously. Accordingly, COPA Chairman Prof. Tissa Vitarana directed the Department of Inland Revenue to submit the relevant proposals with immediate effect.

Special audit report on the taxes and penalties in default to be recovered from the taxpayers was taken into discussion at the Committee on Public Accounts yesterday.

State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Members of Parliament Tissa Attanayake, Niroshan Perera, Ashok Abeysinghe, Kader Masthan, Dr. (Dr.) Upul Galappaththi, B.Y.G. Ratnasekera, Weerasumana Weerasinghe, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya along with other officials were present at this occasion.