Making Customs independent yields results-Nonis

For the first time in the history of Sri Lanka Customs, the necessary background has been created by the political authority, to enable Custom officers to work independently, said Director General of Customs Sarath Nonis.

He said that it was due to the Customs being able to net in this historic Rs. 3 trillion revenue in just eight months of the year. At a special function held yesterday to mark this occasion he said that no political intervention has been made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Minister of Finance

He pointed out that Minister of State for Finance, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, acted in the best possible way to intervene to solve the problems in necessary cases. Nonis expressed confidence that the Customs will be able to reach the revenue target of Rs 1,537 billion set for 2024.

Director General Nonis noted that the previous highest revenue record was Rs.975 billion in 2023. He also pointed out that typically, 25%-30% of total Customs revenue comes from car imports, but this figure has dropped below 6% due to restrictions on car imports in both years.

He added that over the past two years, the Department of Customs has implemented many positive changes, enabling officers to streamline operations through new methods and advanced technical processes. Director General Nonis highlighted that the dedication of the entire customs staff has been instrumental in combating fraud, corruption and smuggling.

He also thanked staff and union members for their initiatives towards achieving this success.

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