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Dispute over computers hinders tax collection
Inland Revenue Department trade unions have raised the issue of confidential information ‘leaking’ to outsiders because of a Finance Ministry proposal that computers required by the department should be leased instead of making outright purchases.
The trade unions have rejected the proposal to lease out computers claiming that if maintenance of the new computers is carried out by a different company, it would be difficult to keep the information confidential.The department needs some 1,000 computers. This arose after the rejection of a proposal to buy about 500 computers last year.
H.A.L. Udayasiri ,Convenor of the Joint Committee of Trade Unions of the Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Service, told the Sunday Times that the department’s tax collection process had already been affected due to the lack of computers.
He said that on Friday the union wrote to President Maithripala Sirisena, asking him to intervene.
Inland Revenue Commissioner General Kalyani Dahanayake said the matter had been taken up with the the department’s technical committee which would submit a report soon.
State Finance Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said the ministry would look into the issues raised by the unions.