JO calls for interim budget from Govt.

13 May 2016 04:45 pm

The joint opposition yesterday urged the government to present an interim budget in the Parliament as the original budget proposals approved by the House earlier have been now negated after the tax revision.

Addressing a media briefing, joint opposition leader MP Dinesh Gunewardena said they had sent a written request to the President and the Prime Minister by including particulars on the 2016 budget and the recent Value Added Tax (VAT) increment due to the conditions implemented by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“The government has requested for a loan from the IMF without the approval of the House. The public have been burdened with unbearable taxes with the loan taken from the IMF. Especially the minor and medium staged business entrepreneurs have been burdened with these taxes. The government has still not represented the agreement with the IMF to the house,” he added.

MP Gunawardena said such misuse of parliamentary powers was a violation of the Constitution. He also said the Prime Minister had once stated that there would be a need of an interim budget during the preliminary discussions.

“The government implements taxes on people which have not been approved by the House and which were not mentioned in the budget. There are also many alterations in the budget which affected many sectors of this country,” he added. (Kalathma Jayawardhane)