SL Customs makes Rs.970Bn with just 990 staffers in hand

History’s highest revenue generation was made in 2023 

• Previous record was Rs. 923Bn in 2023
• original revenue target set for 2023 was Rs.1,217Bn

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

Sri Lanka Customs has made its highest revenue generation in history, a recorded Rs.970 billion last year with only 990 staffers in hand and with restrictions on highest income on imports of automobiles still in place.   

 The Customs spokesperson Senior Director Seevali Arukgoda yesterday said that this was 109% of the amended revenue targets given to them by the Ministry of Finance, which was Rs.893 billion. 

 
The original revenue target set for the SL Customs in the beginning of 2023 was at Rs.1,217 billion but owing to the unstable economic situation prevailing in the country the target was brought down to Rs.893 million.   
According to the spokesperson, the previous highest amount of revenue collected by Customs was Rs.923 billion in 2023 and the revenue generated in 2022 was considerably low at Rs.708 billion.   
In 2018 the revenue generated from automobile imports was Rs.180 billion when no restrictions were in place, but the figure stays at a recorded low of Rs.10 billion last year.   

He said it was remarkable to note how they achieved this figure last year with only 990 staff members in the entire Customs, when the stipulated number of employees should be 1,547. “We are performing our duties with a short of one-third of employees at present,” he said.

   
The best performing divisions of the Customs last year were Central Valuation Directorate, which is by 400%, Preventive Directorate, Revenue Task Force (RTF), Central Cargo Examination Directorate and Post Clearance Audit Directorate.   

He said the planning and action plans introduced by the Director General of Customs had helped to achieve this outstanding target.   

• In 2018 the revenue generated from automobile imports was Rs.180 billion when no restrictions were in place, but the figure stays at a recorded low of Rs.10 billion last year