PIM furthers MBA in Taxation in Conjunction with IRD
Furthering the commitment of the Postgraduate Institute (PIM) to raise the country’s Inland Revenue portfolio to greater heights the PIM joined hands with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) to commence another MBA in Taxation programme (MBA-T).
The new programme was launched on a virtual platform recently.
This latest MBA-T programme was a sequel to the fresh MOU entered into between the two major partners, the PIM and the IRD, in November 2021, the two signatories being Dr. Senaka Kelum Gamage, Director, PIM, and HMWC Bandara, Commissioner General, Inland Revenue.
Dr. Senaka Kelum Gamage, Director, PIM, inaugurating the new programme said that the MBA-T programme has been structured with the objective of enhancing the managerial and Tax Administration competencies of IRD officials, as its overall and cumulative impact would be significant in netting the much needed revenue for the country.
Further, as this degree programme is linked to the current scheme of promotion of the IRD, the qualification gained will, for sure, act as an impetus towards the carrier development of the targeted officers.
HMWC Bandara, Commissioner General, Inland Revenue, profusely complimented the PIM for initiating this specialised programme in 2015, which helped broadening the IRD officials’ academic horizons, as it served as an entry-level qualification to further their academic studies in their specialised field, as well as a shot-in-the-arm in furthering their career development.
Dr. Trevor Mendis, Senior Management Consultant, PIM, overlooking the MBA-T programme, emphasized the complexity and the relative specialty of Taxation as an overarching subject, He thus opined that the programme would demand the participants to demonstrate critical awareness of fundamental and advanced aspects of Tax Administration, while adhering to the desired functional disciplines.
Jayantha Newunhella, Coordinator Specialised Programmes, PIM, the figure behind the coordination of the programme in its entirety, in moving the formal vote of thanks, said that the inaugural ceremony, although conducted on a virtual platform, was a success at its highest due to the indefatigable commitment of all the parties, including the PIM’s functional divisions.
He also commented on the unique feature of the programme to complete a project which involves identifying and analysing a job-related problem in Taxation, developing a study-framework to resolve the problem through comprehensive solution development, and providing a cost-benefit analysis including recommendations and a plan of action for implementation.
These projects, in fact, are those that are adoptable at the IRD to solve their job-related problems. As such these projects are of high practical value.