UNP parliamentarian R. Yogarajan said today the government had imposed a 40% tax on ordinary people while giving a tax holiday to casino operators.

“This is unacceptable. It is the poor who should be given relief and not the rich casino owners. The unreasonable tax holidays will allow foreign investors to transfer all their tax-free profits abroad. In the past the rich were taxed while the poor were given much-needed subsidies, he said.

Mr. Yogarajan told a news conference that trade unions must urge the government to reduce taxes rather than demanding a Rs.10, 000 pay hike which they could not get even last year.

He said the Defence Ministry had spent Rs.250 billion which is 1/5 of the Government’s expenditure though there is no war now.

“The defence expenses keep on increasing even after the war. People are not receiving the benefits of the war victory. Citing security reasons, the Government avoids answering the questions we ask in parliament about the large amount of funds allocated to the defence ministry and how it spends all this money,” he said.(Ajith Siriwardana)