• Criticism has been made against it by many including Labour Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva
• Taxable income exceeding rupees two thousand million for the year of assessment commenced  on April 1, 2020 will be liable to  a 25 percent surcharge 

By Yohan Perera  

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene yesterday announced that he had received copies of four petitions submitted to Supreme Court against the Tax Surcharge Bill which is in the centre of controversy with criticism made against it by many including the Minister of Labour Nimal Siripala de Silva.  

As per the Bill which was presented by Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardene, any individual, partnership or a company whose taxable income calculated in accordance with the provisions of Inland Revenue Act No 24 of 2017, exceeds rupees two thousand million for the year of assessment commenced on April 1, 2020 will be liable to pay a 25 percent surcharge on the taxable income.   

He clarified this, making a special statement on his official Twitter account.  

Responding to reports that he had to pay a mega electricity bill amounting to Rs. 12 million as claimed by CEB, he said this bill was not under his name and he had on several instances informed the CEB on this matter and told them to change the name.  

He claimed it was under the previous tenant’s name. However, the CEB had failed to act to date.  
When he shifted to the particular residence in 2015, he had been getting monthly bills of Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 30,000 but the figure kept on rising and one month, even reached Rs 760,000.  

He said he had written to the CEB asking for clarification on this matter but he had not received any answer.  
He said as a responsible citizen, he had cleared Rs. 7 million, but would raise the matter, legally as to why the CEB had not rectified it and why there are such fluctuations in the monthly bills. 

• He had cleared Rs. 7 million, but would raise the matter legally as to  why the CEB had not rectified it and why there are such fluctuations in  the monthly bills