IRD headless for over 100 days
View(s):The Inland Revenue Department (IRD), which accounts for 52 per cent of the country’s revenue, is functioning without a head for 106 days as the post of Commissioner General (CG) has been vacant since September 13, official sources revealed.
This position fell vacant following the retirement of former head Ivan Dissanayake.
Deputy Governor of the Central Bank C.J.P. Siriwardana (on retirement) was appointed, as the new Commissioner General by the Ministry of Finance on October 23. However IRD workers staged a protest opposite the department headquarters in Colombo on October 25 claiming the appointment, made through cabinet approval, was against the service minutes of the department.
The first decision of the new Cabinet appointed by the president, which met for the first time yesterday (October 30) was to cancel the previous Cabinet’s recommendation to appoint Mr. Siriwardena as the IRD heard.
At present Deputy Commissioner General Nadun Guruge is serving as the acting CG, a senior IRD official said.