Buddhika Pathirana alleges malpractice at Finance Ministry, Excise Dept.

SJB MP Buddhika Pathirana, in Parliament on Wednesday once again castigated the Ministry of Finance for alleged mismanagement of State finances and inconveniencing the public. 

He added that the Government and the Ministry of Finance had failed to prioritise essential requirements of the public, and instead giving prominence wasteful expenditure. Pathirana said whilst the public was awaiting solutions for identity cards, examinations and cost of living factors, the Government was more interested in allocating funds for State Ministries to put up office at One Galle Face. 

In addition, MP Pathirana once again questioned the Finance Ministry and its Department of Excise on wasteful expenditure on affixing tax stamps on alcohol products, as QR codes assigned to these stamps are dysfunctional despite the program being operational for a number of years. 

He remarked that the Government and the public lost over Rs. 10 billion annually due to this program, which yields no results. Pathirana pointed out that the State Minister of Money and Capital Markets had also told the House that the program had not been made fully operational. 

The Excise Department has afforded the tax stamps project to Madras Security Printers, a controversial company that is reportedly blacklisted for corruption in India and a number of African nations. Pointing out that the Excise Department had initiated the program with MSP during the previous Yahapalana regime, Pathirana alleged that the Excise Department is insisting on continuing its affiliation with the company due to corruption within the department. 

“The Director General of Excise maintains that MSP is not blacklisted though in fact it really is, and that a statement will be issued in that regard. The Excise Department is pushing for this project to continue because there is corruption behind this from the time of the previous government when it was introduced,” Pathirana stated. 

He added that there is no coordination within the Finance Ministry and its agencies, which is demonstrated by the Secretary to the Treasury stating that there will be no new licenses issued for the productions of liquor amidst numerous reports of such new applications, whilst the Excise Commissioner just last month alluded to new applications received for production of beer. 

Such lack of coordination points to mismanagement within the Ministry, and could possibly lead to revenue shortfalls to the State, Pathirana added. 

“The Ministry of Finance is in a bad state, it is not giving prominence to public priorities,” Pathirana alleged.