President Anura Kumara Dissanayake held discussions today (11) with excise officials regarding the regulation of the alcohol and tobacco industries to enhance state revenue.
According to the Presidential Media Division, the meeting took place at the Presidential Secretariat. The discussions focused on the challenges faced by the Excise Department and strategies to meet this year’s revenue targets.
A key topic of discussion was integrating the operations of the Excise Department with the Inland Revenue Department to ensure efficiency and fairness in tax collection. The meeting also addressed several critical aspects, including:
- Strengthening regulations in the alcohol and tobacco industries to boost government revenue.
- Facilitating legal revenue generation while ensuring compliance with laws and regulations.
- Implementing awareness programs to combat illegal alcohol, dangerous drugs, and psychoactive substance abuse.
- Preventing health risks associated with unregulated alcohol consumption.
- Enhancing the management and control of approved alcoholic products to support economic growth.
Further discussions were held on improving revenue collection and safeguarding state income through strategic operational and management mechanisms. The need for a human resource and technological development plan to improve the efficiency of the Excise Department was also emphasized.
The meeting was attended by Presidential Secretary Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumaranayake, Finance Ministry Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena, Excise Commissioner General Udaya Kumara Perera, and other senior officials from the Excise Department.
Last week, during a Parliamentary Finance Committee session, there was a heated debate over whether individuals using electronic cigarettes should be arrested. However, the statement issued following today’s meeting did not mention any specific measures regarding the use of electronic cigarettes, including their impact on schoolchildren.