📈 CIABOC & IRD Coordination Urged to Boost Tax Enforcement

A call for greater synergy between Sri Lanka's anti-corruption commission (CIABOC) and the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) highlights key opportunities to recover undisclosed revenue and strengthen rule of law. • Leveraging Investigative Data: CIABOC's complex, multi-year wealth investigations uncover substantial data on assets and bank accounts. Sharing this with the IRD could trigger immediate tax assessments on undisclosed income, bypassing lengthy criminal trial delays. • Overcoming Time Limits: In cases of suspected fraud or wilful tax evasion, standard statutory time limits do not apply, allowing the IRD independent powers to recover back taxes. • Public Domain Monitoring: The IRD is urged to proactively track public disclosures—such as recent reports of Sri Lanka Cricket spending ~Rs. 681 Mn on legal fees over three years—to cross-check if recipients have declared these earnings. • Key Takeaway: Systematic sharing of financial intelligence between state agencies and utilizing public audit/media reports would significantly improve national revenue collection and reinforce anti-corruption efforts.