Sales tax on 63 essential items unchanged

1 January 2025 09:08 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 8 Bookmark

CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA Follow

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Colombo, January 1 (Daily Mirror) - A gazette notification was issued on December 31, 2024, to maintain the existing import duty on 63 selected items, including essential food items, without any revisions, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development announced.

The Ministry said that continuing the existing duty rates aims to prevent price increases for goods by maintaining the current rates on items such as dhal, white sugar, potatoes, big onions, red onions, coconut oil, vegetable oil, canned fish and dried chilies.

Additionally, the Ministry noted that the tax rates on food items like rice, millet, green gram, maize, turmeric, fruits, fish and dried fish were also retained. This measure is intended to protect the local agriculture and fisheries industries.

Comments - 8

Hon. Sarneris Wednesday, 01 January 2025 09:34 PM

In proper countries they lower import duties to safeguard the consumer and give subsidies to the farmers in order to meet the market prices.

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wickrama Wijayasiri Thursday, 02 January 2025 02:05 AM

Fair and wise decision as not to tinker with current marketplace with knee-jerk reaction like what Gota did. He lowered taxes for most 'friendly' businesses which compounded by bad decisions or lack of oversight during Covid, bankrupted the country. Corrupt politicians and their cronies 'filling their bags' put the icing on the cake.

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last chance Thursday, 02 January 2025 05:13 AM

We know that you have been giving lot of relief for low income families such as Rs 6000 to by books for their children ect and above all people can be happy such taxes obtained will be spent on worth while causes rather than stealing them as previous governments did.

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Namal W Thursday, 02 January 2025 07:44 AM

The government should provide/find ways to improve the production per acre, until this is done we will be a nation existing by day. Our neighbors like India, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam have done this. This is why Ranil Wickramasinghe always talked about these countries. But we need to do something to achieve this. Better irrigation and improved fertilizer, including organic fertilizer is important. Hope officials will see this.

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Dr. Ganeshamoorthy Thursday, 02 January 2025 11:27 AM

"to protect the local agriculture and fisheries industries". Utter lie. farmers and fisheries cannot be protected by these measures (1) govt get a lump sum revenue by taxing food, so the treasury will be happy (2) consumers pay a higher than normal market price and spend a larger part of income on food after paying maximum of 36% direct taxes. (3) farmers and fishermen still receive same price as before as they do not control over the prices and thus any benefit of the tax will go to the middlemen to protect a small group of producers all consumers have to pay a higher price. taxing food is amount to be committing a crime

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Sam Thursday, 02 January 2025 12:07 PM

Using tax on imports to protect local producers just sends the message that they can do as they wish and not concern themselves with productivity. We need them to be competative with imported alternates. We have some of the cheapest labour rates in the world so if it is possible to produce elsewhere cheaper we are doing something very wrong.

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Gunapala Thursday, 02 January 2025 01:03 PM

Government is happy to continue with all RW policies. This is not what NPP promised before the election

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Asela De Silva Thursday, 02 January 2025 03:42 PM

Government impose Tax on essential items, but not focusing to net the culprits like Lyeceum international schools, they take admission fees from parents without issuing Invoice, Receipt, also the bank deposit slip is taken by school, we cant demad anything as the child would be revenged, Lyceum has nearliy 1500 Admissions at 475000 rupees from one child, FCID open your eyes....

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