Sri Lanka President calls for reforms as customs targets LKR 2,550 Billion

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasized the government’s commitment to advancing Sri Lanka and improving citizens’ quality of life.

He made these remarks during an event marking International Customs Day, held yesterday (January 27) at the Customs Department Auditorium under the theme, “Customs Delivering on its Commitment to Efficiency, Security, and Prosperity.”

Highlighting the critical role of Sri Lanka Customs in economic stabilization, President Dissanayake acknowledged the department’s achievements in meeting last year’s revenue targets.

However, he stressed that merely achieving targets is insufficient to rebuild a collapsed economy. He noted the importance of raising the revenue-to-GDP ratio and addressing disruptions in the import-export market.

The President revealed that the Customs Department has been assigned a revenue target of LKR 2,550 billion for this year and urged collective effort to meet this goal.

He cautioned that even small mistakes could cause significant disruptions in the fragile recovery process, which is currently guided by parameters set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Key Initiatives and Reforms

President Dissanayake announced several measures to modernize and strengthen institutions, including Sri Lanka Customs, the Department of Excise, and the Department of Inland Revenue.

These include:

• Structural reforms to create a modern organizational framework.
• Enhancing public service efficiency through digitalization and technology.
• Implementing legal reforms to build robust institutional frameworks.
• Introducing a new salary structure and improving facilities for Customs officers, with discussions underway with the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury.

He acknowledged past failures to introduce timely institutional reforms, which allowed external parties to exploit the country’s strategic resources and hindered Sri Lanka’s economic potential.

The President also outlined plans to expand operations at Sri Lanka’s ports, targeting a capacity of 11.3 million containers annually, and urged unity among employees to achieve this target.

Honouring Customs Officers

During the event, President Dissanayake presented merit certificates issued by the World Customs Organization (WCO) to 20 Customs officers for their outstanding contributions to special operations. Two officers received special skills awards, and the Director General of Customs presented a commemorative plaque to the President to mark the occasion.

Key officials present included Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development; Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor of the Central Bank; Harshana Suriyapperuma, Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning; Parinda Ranasinghe, Attorney General; Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President; Mahinda Siriwardena, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance; Sarath Nonis, Director General of Customs; and other officials from the Customs Department.