Public Accounts Committee urges Excise Department to expedite launch of system to streamline revenue calculation

The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) has made recommendations to the Excise Department to expedite the preparation of the Computer Data Base System to streamline the process of calculating the excise revenue.
The effort will be carried out by linking the Excise Department, Customs Department and Inland Revenue Department.

In a statement, the COPA said the system would enable the country to carry out the functions of the Excise Department, one of the country’s leading revenue earners, more efficiently and to increase its revenue significantly.
The recommendation was made during the meeting of the Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Prof. Tissa Vitarana earlier this week. 

The Commissioner General of Excise has been instructed to call for bids from the University of Moratuwa and University of Colombo and make appropriate arrangements.

During the meeting, the COPA pointed out that it is unfortunate that even though some government agencies have been instructed for many years to set up a computer system and streamline their activities, they have not yet received a positive response.

The committee also drew attention to the progress made in maintaining a secure sticker management system for liquor bottles and liquor-related products to increase government revenue.

With the introduction of this sticker management system, the revenue of the Excise Department has increased by 17 percent in the first three months of last year alone, the COPA said.