Professor Wasantha Athukorala of Peradeniya University’s Department of Economics and Statistical Studies said that due to the increase in tax burden from next year, the middle class and all the people will not be under severe economic pressure, and the indirect tax burden for a family of four will increase to 40 thousand rupees per month. said to (Sri Lanka Latest News)
The professor pointed out that the expected tax revenue of the government in 2024 is 3,820 billion rupees, of which 2,740 billion rupees are expected through indirect taxes.
According to this, a family of four is expected to pay a monthly indirect tax of nearly forty thousand rupees.
The expected level of government indirect taxes in 2023 was 1,733 billion rupees. Accordingly, the amount of indirect tax payable by a family of four was 25,320 rupees.
Thus, compared to 2023, the amount of indirect tax that a family of four has to pay every month in 2024 is expected to increase significantly to 14,700 rupees.
The professor said that although the government is expected to give a monthly allowance of ten thousand rupees to public servants, more than that amount can be collected from individuals as indirect taxes.
Thus, it is shown that even the poorest families in the country will be subjected to a large amount of indirect taxes in the coming year.
He points out that the price of goods and services which are bought by the common people as well as children and adults, who are already living under severe economic pressure, will be significantly increased next year.
Mr. Athukorala said that in this situation, the lives of the common people of the country as well as the middle-class families will suffer a collapse and sectors such as education and health will suffer a major deterioration, and all sectors of the economy including rural agriculture, construction sector, animal production may suffer a collapse.
