Unions’ call to streamline new tax files using RAMIS system

Union representatives of the Inland Revenue Department were recently called before the Committee on Ways and Means of the Parliament and concerns pertaining to the Inland Revenue Department were taken into discussion at the Committee meeting held.

This discussion was held on July 31 at the Committee on Ways and Means which met under the Chairmanship of MP Patali Champika Ranawaka.

Although the Government has given a target to initiate new tax files, the issues that have arisen in implementing this were discussed at length. Pointing out that there is a huge delay in the initiation of new tax files using the RAMIS system currently in use by the Inland Revenue Department, the union representatives pointed out that urgent action is needed to streamline this.

The Chair of the Committee emphasized that in order to reap the full benefits of the RAMIS system, the Inland Revenue Department should take responsibility for its implementation and a public private partnership should be created to run it. The Chair also pointed out that the department has been instructed to join the integrated information system that will be created by merging 13 Government Institutions.

The Committee Chair also instructed to open tax files for people above the age of 18 years in connection with the census to be conducted by the Department of Population and Statistics and collect relevant information using a Mobile App and take steps to set up a proper data system.

Moreover, various problems in the Inland Revenue Department were brought to the notice of the Committee by the trade union representatives of the said department.

The Committee Chair emphasized that urgent steps should be taken to solve the administrative problems in the department.

In the case of bulk registration of taxpayers, difficulties arising due to technical weaknesses in the RAMIS system and abolishing the requirement of making the e-mail address and Gramaseva Niladhari Division mandatory by considering the name of the persons and National Identity Card as a mandatory element was also discussed.