Govt.’s new tax policy burdensome to people, harmful to economy



Colombo, January 3 (Daily Mirror) - United Republican Front (URF) leader Patali Champika Ranawaka said yesterday that the tax policy regime of the new government would burden people further and cause harm to the economy.

Making his remarks to the press, Mr. Ranawaka said the new tax system had the hallmarks of the one introduced by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and otherwise it was not an innovation by the new government.

He said the new tax regime will serve the IMF interests.

“The advisors of the present government, ahead of the main elections, pledged to readjust the IMF programme to redress the burden on people. What is now happening is the exact opposite. Today, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya remain tightlipped on it. They vowed to amend the IMF debt sustainability analysis. Once again, they keep following the footsteps of Mr. Wickremesinghe,” he said.

He said the government should achieve a revenue target of Rs.4300-4400 billion this year.

“The government is working in this direction. It will be compelled to limit capital expenditure. I do not know what the government is planning to do regarding calls by its advisors to lay off over 600,000 public servants,” he said.



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