State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has earned more than the targeted tax revenue in the first quarter of this year.

“Customs had earned only 89 percent of their targeted revenue during the first quarter due to import restrictions. Meanwhile, the Excise Department has fallen short of its target with only 64 percent of earnings, possibly due to illegal liquor sales,” he said. 

The Ministry will be looking into both these areas to identify where improvements can be made, he added.