UNP questions Govt.’s wheat flour policy

By AshwinHemmathagama, our Lobby Correspondent

Discouraging wheat flour use in the country, the effectiveness of the different types of taxes imposed on wheat flour imports, was questioned on Tuesday at the Parliament by Opposition legislator Ravi Karunanayake (MP – UNP).

“You have imposed a tax totalling Rs. 31 per Kg, which is borne by the consumer. If the Government is keen to discourage the use of wheat flour, why not completely stop the imports?” asked Karunanayake raising a supplementary question highlighting the information tabled at yesterday’s Parliament, where household wheat flour consumption reported 139,738.137MT in 2006/07 being increased to 169,347.65MT in 2009/10.

“Only the private sector is engaged in the wheat flour production. So, the Government imposed an import tax Rs. 16 per Kg, Port and Airport Development Tax 5 per cent per Kg, Nation Building Tax 2 per cent per Kg, and a CESS of Rs. 20 per Kg,” explained Minister of Co-operative and Internal Trade Johnston Fernando in response.