Current tax burden will be removed soon with Govt. financial discipline: Ravi K

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake yesterday claimed that the current tax burden on the people could be removed in a short period of time as a result of the Government’s commitment to practice financial disciplines.

“The Government had taken every possible measures to eliminate waste and corruption in improving financial discipline,” said Karunanayake after handing over dry rations among low income group families of the Muslim community in Colombo North area to mark the Ramada.

Addressing the ceremony held at the minister’s political office at Thotalanga, Minister Karunanayake further said:“A President who ruled this country for 11 years questioned us today about Value Added Tax (TAX). The 20% VAT burden was imposed on the people during their regime, therefore I would like to ask him whether they have forgotten the recent past to question me about the increase in VAT.”

Pointing out that the Government would like to reduce the cost of living and remove the burden from the ordinary people, he said it was however unable to reject the dowry of debts passed on it by the Rajapaksa regime.

The Minister said that Rs.288 billion was spent for the Hambantota harbour but its monthly revenue was only Rs. 3.4 million, while the UNP Government estimated to construct the Southern Highway at a cost of Rs. 60 billion but the Rajapaksa regime spent Rs. 128 billion to build it.

“People are suffering today as a consequence of the loans obtained during the Rajapaksa Government at high interest rates such as 8%. Therefore, I challenge former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to participate in a debate with me for two hours and, argue on the country’s economy, without making false statements at every nook and corner,” he added.

“These are the politicians who have planned to set up new political parties to come before the people asking a mandate to rule the country again. Such endeavoursare also good on one hand, because they will realise what their current position is. We can well remember the lesson taught by the people to such politicians who attempted to form third level or fourth level forces in the past,” Karunanayake continued.

Noting that there were only two major political parties in this country, one of them being the Sri Lanka Freedom Party led by the President and the other being the United National Party led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, he said that today the country was governed by these two leaders in unison and that those who were trying to form alternative political forces should realise this truth.

Several former town councillors and a large number of residents in the area participated in the ceremony.