Tax collectors to launch massive protest against special GST Act

In a move to express its displeasure over the new Special GST Act, the country’s top tax collectors of the Excise Department, Sri Lanka Customs and the Department of Inland Revenue will team up to launch a massive protest against the Ministry of Finance tomorrow.

The trade union collective of the Department of Excise addressing a press briefing yesterday said that they will team up with the other leading tax collecting authorities to fight against the ‘unfair’ Special Goods and Services Tax Act, which was gazetted on January 07th.

As a result, the Excise Department trade union will hold hands with the TUS of the Department of Inland Revenue, Sri Lanka Customs, Department of Motor Traffic (Dmt),telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), and Sri Lanka Export Development Board to launch this protest.

Co-secretary Unity of Excise Trade Unions Nirosh Jayakody said by introducing the Special GST Act the government is planning to set up a single small unit to gather all the tax revenue collected from the aforesaid authorities in the future to be sent to the Treasury.

This decision would create many adverse effects including each authority collecting tax from various different fields in the country would lose their identities and authority as well as many employees would lose their jobs. (KURULU KOOJANA KARIYAKARAWANA)