Govt. withdraws Special GST Bill after SC determination

Thursday, 24 March 2022 03:16 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando

The Government on Tuesday withdrew the Special Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill after the Supreme Court determined the majority of the clauses in the Bill are inconsistent with the Constitution.

Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando informed the House the Government is withdrawing the Bill which had been placed on the Order Paper of Parliament.

The constitutionality of the Bill, aimed at simplifying the country’s existing tax structure, was challenged before the SC in terms of Article 121 (1) of the Constitution.

The court stated that Parliament, which exercises full control of public finance, would deprive itself of the constitutional responsibility to ensure tax revenue is utilised only for public purposes and for other purposes approved by Parliament, if this Bill is enacted.

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.