Tax burden unfair despite government revenue claims: Namal

Colombo, July 23 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National Organizer Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa has accused the government of imposing an unfair tax burden on the public despite claiming to have large amounts of revenue.

Addressing a meeting in Udahamulla yesterday (July 22), he said that although President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had said that the government had “crores of rupees”, there was no sufficient investment or benefit provided to the people in return for the taxes they pay.

“The President proudly says, ‘We have crores of rupees.’ However, there is no investment in the country that is fair considering the amount of tax paid by the people,” he said.

Namal said the country was currently facing severe economic difficulties, with the cost of living increasing daily while taxes were being increased without proper consideration.

He alleged that the public was being forced to cover financial losses caused by government failures.

“If there is any loss or theft within the government, the people are taxed to recover those losses,” he claimed.

Commenting on recent increases in electricity tariffs and fuel prices, Rajapaksa linked them to issues including the import of substandard coal and questioned whether ordinary citizens should bear the cost of such problems.