By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana  

There will be surprises in the budget 2024 including a proposal to tax primary bond dealers, President Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament yesterday.  
President made this remark in response to an allegation made by Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa who alleged that the government is to put EPF holders in jeopardy by charging a 30 percent tax if it does not opt to participate in the debt optimization process.  

“We will tax the primary bond dealers from the next budget and you will find surprises in the budget 2024,” the President said

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“The opposition leader Sajith Premadasa is speaking against the companies which invest on bonds and he should not go and ask for money from them for various purposes,” he added.  
The President also said the proposal to charge a 30 percent tax from the EPF was originally proposed by the SLPP even before he became the Prime Minister.    “The supreme courts had clearly stated that there is no issue with the Inland Revenue Amendment Bill. The supreme courts have clearly shown that the banks cannot participate in the domestic debt optimization process given their position. The banks cannot participate in the debt optimization process given the thin line of capital they hold,” he said reading the Supreme Court optimization.  
“Petitioners who filed legal action against the Inland Revenue Amendment Bill had failed to provide evidence to prove their point.