A sectoral oversight committee has found 15 per cent of tax defaulters among the 712 businesses that accounted for more than Rs. one billion worth of imports each in 2023.
The revelation was made when the committee on national economic and physical planning summoned officials of the Department of Inland Revenue for a hearing.
Its chair Mahindananda Aluthgamage also said that tax reports have omitted to mention 3,202 apartment units, each worth more than Rs. 200 million, built in Colombo city during the year.
Also, certain rice mill owners have not paid taxes although around Rs. 100 billion had been credited to their accounts in the Bank of Ceylon and the People's Bank, he added.