Sri Lanka Customs announced that for the first time in the history of the Customs Department, it has achieved an annual custom revenue of Rs. 1 trillion so far this year.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has set a revenue target of Rs.1,534 billion for 2024. With the Rs.1,000 billion targets already met within the first eight months, Director General of Customs Sarath Nonis is confident that the annual target can be achieved within the next four months of the year, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.

Director General Nonis noted that the previous highest revenue record was Rs.975 billion in 2023. He also pointed out that typically, 25%-30% of total customs revenue comes from car imports, but this figure has dropped below 6% due to restrictions on car imports in both years.

Meanwhile, the Director General credited the department’s success to its independence and the new operational methods and technical processes implemented over the past two years, according to the PMD.

He added that over the past two years, the Department of Customs has implemented many positive changes, enabling officers to streamline operations through new methods and advanced technical processes.

Director General Sarath Nonis highlighted that the dedication of the entire customs staff has been instrumental in combating fraud, corruption, and smuggling.

The department continues to enhance its administrative activities under an annual action plan, ensuring regular transfers and updates to customs procedures and quality improvements, the PMD added.