SLFP not in agreement with Govt.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party does not agree with the government to impose collection of a 25 percent surcharge on the EPF and ETF, since both funds have been built up with hard earned money of six million private and semi government sector employees, the party's propaganda secretary Shantha Bandara said yesterday.

He said as a policy and also as a workers’ political party, the SLFP protests vehemently to the action of the government, and as such the Central Committee of the party would shortly take a decision on how to deal with the issue in Parliament.

“We are not against imposing a one-off surcharge of 25% on big companies and super rich people who earn more than Rs. 2 billion annually. But we can’t condone to the government’s attempt to touch the EPF and ETF,” Mr. Bandara stressed.

Responding to Daily Mirror at yesterday’s news briefing held at the party office, Mr. Bandara said savings at the EPF and the ETF were the only relief to private sector employees and employees of state owned enterprises when they retire. Therefore it is extremely difficult for the SLFP to vote in support of the Surcharge Tax Bill in Parliament.

The SLFP expects to have a discussion with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa shortly on the Surcharge Tax Bill and change the government’s decision to tax the Provident Fund and the Trust Fund.

When the Bill was tabled in Parliament, the SLFP was of the view that the 25% surcharge was only on large profit making companies and top income earners of the corporate sector, he added.  (Sandun A. Jayasekera)