Sri Lanka Customs (SLC) has managed to collect and complete its revenue target of Rs. 160.2 billion in January 2026 within the first 22 days, surpassing the target set for the month of January, according to official data.

The revenue target by the Sri Lanka Customs during the month of January for 2025 was reported to be Rs. 142.6 billion, while the revenue target for January was set at Rs. 160.2 billion, but the department has already gathered Rs. 175.4 billion, exceeding the target by 9.5% within this period, as projected.

The year 2025 has been recorded as the highest revenue-earning year in the history of Sri Lanka Customs, noting that the Department had surpassed its expected revenue target of Rs. 2,115 billion, enabling it to enter 2026 with an additional surplus of approximately Rs. 300 billion, stated by Sri Lanka Customs Director General S.P. Arukgoda at the Presidential Secretariat. 

However, for the current year, the revenue target has been set at Rs. 2,206 billion, reflecting a 13.5% reduction compared to the previous year, due to an anticipated decline in car imports, according to official data.

The surge in Customs revenue is attributed with the stabilisation of reserves, relaxation of certain import controls, a steady recovery in consumer demand, collections from import duties, and other taxes that have risen.

Amid the country’s economic crisis due to cyclone Ditwah, the SLC has achieved a substantial contribution to Government revenue, while ensuring frictionless trade flow to expand the trade volume in both imports and exports, as a blueprint mentioned by the Customs Department.  

Source - The Morning