SJB Member of Parliament Mr Eran Wickramaratne said that the President cannot break the law and the President should not appoint anyone who has been accused as Inspector General of Police. Sri Lanka Latest News
Mr. Eran Wickramaratne further stated that the country’s economy cannot be brought back to normal by increasing the income alone and the waste of expenditure must be looked at and good income can only be obtained if the country’s gross domestic product increases and for that the country should make investments.
He stated this at a press conference held at the opposition leader’s office in Colombo today (01).
Mr. Eran Wickramaratne who further commented said:
“Value-added tax has been increased by 18 per cent. Cabinet spokesperson Bandula Gunawardena said that the tax will be implemented from January 2024. Bandula Gunawardena stated that the value-added tax was increased by 18 per cent because the government’s income was minimal. We all agree that the government’s income should be increased. In 2019, the income of the Yahapala government was about 10 per cent. By the time we left, that figure had increased to about 13 per cent. But there should be about 20 per cent in Sri Lanka”
The problem lies in the question of which taxes will be increased and from whom the taxes will be charged. The value-added tax was increased and that tax affects the common citizens of the country. Bandula Gunawardena also stated that the government’s income has increased by 50 per cent in 2023. The government says that the value-added tax had to be increased because several goals of the International Monetary Fund had to be completed
Bandula Gunawardena said at the first cabinet press conference that the good governance government has increased taxes and we will reduce them. Stupid stories said without any research, without any survey. Because Gotabaya Rajapaksa cut some immediate tax revenues to win, the country’s income decreased by one-third. That is the root of today’s economic crisis. These taxes were removed without any scientific basis. It was said that the tax cut would increase the gross domestic product, but the gross domestic product fell. Income and exports all fell down. As incomes went down, they started printing money. The amount of money printed during Gotabaya’s time has not been printed even in the last 60 years. Inflation, which was less than 10 per cent, rose to 70 per cent. Food inflation in the country rose by 100 per cent.
It is not possible to restore the country’s economy only by increasing incomes. We must look at the waste of expenditure. Otherwise, the International Monetary Fund will not work. Most of the income should go towards education and health. But the government has no reference about it. There is no reference to it in the International Monetary Fund. There is no need to lead the country as the International Monetary Fund says. We need to know and do the right thing. The government needs to know how to reduce waste in the country.
The electricity bill was increased three times. We are not asking to provide electricity at a loss. The electricity bill should not be increased because the government’s income has decreased. The electricity bill should be increased to cover the cost of electricity production. But the cost of electricity production is high. We need to bring down the path to power generation. For that, renewable energy needs to be increased. Surveys have confirmed that there is no better place to increase renewable energy than Sri Lanka.
A large number of people’s electricity has been cut off. By cutting the electricity, the children of the country are hindered from learning. The irreparable gap in the country is now being increased not only by income but also by education. By increasing the electricity bill, this gap is increasing.
Ceylon Electricity Board should measure the cost, production cost and efficiency of Ceylon Electricity Board with other power producers in the country and with international power producers.
The President has told the Income Tax Department and the Customs Authority that the income should be collected. These institutions must be connected to a digital system. The good governance government increased the amount of income tax. Notifications can be made, but due to corruption, it is impossible to do those things. Pollution can be reduced by bringing technology. Digital technology was introduced to the Income Tax Department in 2018-2019. There is a problem with its implementation. The Income Tax Department and the Customs Authority will be digitized in a SJB government. “
Question – It is because large-scale companies do not pay taxes that the common people have to pay taxes.
Answer – Unpaid taxes must be collected. The government does not have the strength to collect it. That is where the problem of corruption arises. Tax decision-makers in the government have certain advantages. Because of those advantages, they are silent. Taxes are not collected. This problem is a serious problem. The country’s economic problems cannot be solved if the law is not implemented to reduce corruption.
The question is whether there is a scientific reason for the government to increase VAT now. Income should be increased. It is not possible to get out of the trap the country has fallen into by increasing the income. Income can be obtained only if the gross domestic product increases. For that, investments should be made in the country. Those investments are not there yet. There is no increase in production.
The Israeli-Palestinian war affects Sri Lanka’s exports. The Middle East is a good market for Sri Lankan tea and other products. Due to the Israeli-Palestinian war, our exports to those countries are becoming impossible. Sri Lanka’s export competitiveness is decreasing. A large number of Sri Lankans work in Israel and the Middle East. Their families are supported by the money they send. If the Israeli-Palestinian war drags on, oil prices may rise. Even if the price of oil goes up, it affects the cost of living.
We cannot control the world war. Those consequences are negative for us.
Question – Is the opposition happy about the increase in public servants’ salaries?
Answer – If the salaries of all 14 lakh government employees are increased. Trillions are needed for that. Let’s see if all government employees will be paid. The government cannot increase the salary without restricting the public service. The government does not say them all at once.
