Trade unions attached to the Excise Department have expressed strong opposition to a statement made by the Commissioner General of Excise, M.B.N.A. Pemarathne, during a trade union meeting held on Friday (17) in relation to the staff members.
The Unity of Excise Trade Unions questioned how it is possible to claim that 20% - 30% of the staff within the Excise Department are corrupt, while the department’s revenue target has been exceeded to reach 107%.
According to the union, the Commissioner General’s remarks are baseless and appear to be a hasty statement made without proper understanding of public administration and taxation, which has caused distress among Excise officers.
The Executive Committee of the Union has decided to meet with the Commissioner General tomorrow (21) to formally express their objection and demand a correction of the statement.
They also warned that if a correction is not made, they are prepared to take any form of trade union action in response.
