CA Sri Lanka

The recent tax amendments were given centre stage at a specialized seminar on taxation organized by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) together with its Faculty of Taxation.

The highly informative seminar saw detailed presentations from well versed tax experts including Commissioner General of the Department of Inland Revenue, Ms. Mallika Samarasekara who delivered the keynote speech at the well-attended event held at the CA Sri Lanka Auditorium in Colombo 7.

In three separate presentations, Deputy Commissioner General of Inland Revenue Department, Mr. H. B. A. Seneviratne gave a detailed overview on the Economic Service Charge (ESC) and Income Tax and the recent amendments implemented.

Senior Commissioner of the Department, Mr. A. L. A. Sirisena stressed in detail on the very topical Nation Building Tax (NBT) and the recent amendments brought in this year including the areas where the tax is excluded.

The department’s Commissioner, Mr. J. P. D. R. Jayasekara while emphasizing on the Value Added Tax (VAT) Act, also detailed the recent amendments implemented following the 2012 Budget.

Senior Tax Advisor of the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Ms. Dammika Gunathilaka, Ms. L C Nanayakkara (Partner – Tax, Ernst & Young), Mr. N R Gajendran – (Chairman of Faculty of Taxation), Mr. A. L. A. Sirisena, Mr. J. P. D. R. Jayasekara, Mr. H. B. A. Seneviratne  were featured as  panelists at the seminar.

In keeping with its role to edify the country’s professionals and members of the public on taxation related matters, the CA Sri Lanka Faculty of Taxation organized this seminar addressing three contemporary tax topics at a single podium for the benefit of professionals and members of the public giving them the opportunity to learn the benefits of these new amendments while also giving them an opportunity to address their concerns to the respective officials.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) is empowering the country’s professionals with its highly sought after Executive Diploma in Business and Accounting (EDBA) programme through its CA Business School which gives professionals both in the finance and non-finance fields an in-depth understanding in business and accounting disciplines.

The Executive Diploma programme conducted over a period of three semesters, gives professionals a thorough understanding in theory and practical aspects on business and accounting disciplines which are relevant in today’s commercial world.

The programme has received much praise from professional who have completed the course.

Finance & Administration Manager of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Mr. Nishantha Warnasooriya stressed that the main reason he chose the course offered by the CA Sri Lanka Business School was due to the emphasis on an interdisciplinary and flexible curriculum.

“This course allows students the opportunity to advance from an Executive Diploma, to a post-graduate diploma and then to a MBA within a relatively short period. This coupled with the school’s reputation, the diverse student body with rich backgrounds, approachable faculty and their attention to student needs has deeply assisted my work as an operations management professional. The formative experience gained at the school has equipped me well for my professional growth,” he noted.

According to Mr. T. P. P. Silva, who functions as an Accountant for Mercantile Marine Management Ltd., for a considerable length of time he was stagnant in the position of Assistant accountant.

“However, when browsing the internet I came upon the website of CA Sri Lanka and I noticed the Executive Diploma in Business and Accounting course for partly qualified accountants. I decided to pursue my career as an Accountant and enrolled for this course. After completing this course successfully, I further followed on by extending my studies to the successful completion of a Post Graduate Diploma in Business and Financial Administration,” he noted.

According to Mr. Silva, after completing the executive diploma and post graduate diploma, he was not only promoted to the position of Accountant with a higher remuneration but also received a company maintained car among a range of other benefits. “I was also able to contribute a higher quality to my job having acquired a wealth of knowledge, strong sense of professionalism, good leadership skills and wider knowledge of Excel,” Mr. Silva added.

Finance Controller of Chinese Dragon Café Pvt. Ltd., Mr. K Sivanathan noted that the Executive Diploma paved way towards obtaining a globally recognized MBA from the University of Southern Queensland.

“The Executive Diploma in Financial Administration really helped me to achieve my ambition through its competitive course structure designed for busy executives with flexible class hours. The panel of lecturers, with extensive knowledge, academic qualification and vast experience in the field really helped a lot for my success. The benefits of following the Executive Diploma in Financial Administration are unlimited,” he added.

Chief Financial Officer of the Traveller Global (Pvt.) Ltd., Mr.  K. Susantha Perera noted that after obtaining the Executive Diploma from CA Sri Lanka, he was able to follow a post graduate diploma and he now has the opportunity to follow a MBA from the University of Southern Queensland.