The Joint Opposition has declared that it will take every measure possible to oppose the Value Added Tax (VAT) Bill, including go to courts if necessary.
Peiris
Former Minister G. L. Peiris said that the Government should not introduce such bills in an ad hoc manner, and any new taxes should only come via the annual budget.
He also castigated SLFP MPs saying they had no moral right to support the Bill.
Last week the Cabinet gave the green light for the amended VAT bill, however speaking to reporters over the weekend former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that this was the same bill that was introduced earlier by the government and there was no amendment. “They are trying to dupe the people by saying it’s amended,” he said.
In a statement yesterday, Rajapaksa called on the government not to tax the sick. If the VAT bill comes into effect, patients who seek treatment from private hospitals will be liable to pay the tax except for OPD services, diagnostic tests and for dialysis.
In April this year, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe made an announcement in Parliament that the VAT will be increased from 11% to 15% with effect from May. However, following a petition by Opposition MP Wimal Weerawansa, the Supreme Court issued an interim order suspending the tax increase mid-July. The tax increase was to become affective after the Government passed the VAT Bill in Parliament, however the government suffered yet another setback when the Supreme Court ruled that the government had not followed the correct procedure when presenting the Bill in Parliament last month.
Black list man !! / September 20, 2016
A Certain past politician being very heroic has black files in a certain western country for possible Human smuggling accusations , how many of you are aware of it?
The Government must start investigating on it asap.
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Simon De Silva / September 20, 2016
GLP continusouly sitting with dogs – the day he would complain on ticks problem is not that far. This man GLP though with all high academic credentials have betrayed the educated community of the mother lanka. What would he have been thinking when nearing to death – one single good move being supportive to the long standing alarming problem of the country ?I have the feeling if you would have done something good, you can sleep well at the end of the day- by reminding how good I was for this day, but these men with higher level or university accomplishments have been waging their tails to a stupid man not once all along.
Please GLP do a good thing after a number of bad things. ALone to support culprits to me is a great crime. God save you Professor. You have been made a Ambalangoda Rukada to this date – funniest above all.
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Babansincho Jayathilaka / September 20, 2016
What would the relatives of GLP discuss on his loyality to Mahinda Rajapakshe ?
What would the relatives of Self Proclaimed Analyst DJ feel about the nature of DJ time to time ?
Sorry, but their comparable candidate is Wimal Buruwase – we perfectly know how and what a background he is from ?
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Desperate Lanken / September 20, 2016
Yes yes, if I would go on saying mama thami minhia, i am the hero… I am senior diplomat,,, but people really have to see what the men are uttering. May well be taking our examples- for GLP – under his guidance what was the case for external affairs, he could not even achieve a 0, 000000000000000000000000001% of what late Mr. Kadirgamar did. Besides, he had no whatsoever power to stand against any rude/unacceptable appointment made directly by his guru -Presidentjust because his blind loyality, what can bring the loyality or education if a guy would repeatedly behave so sheepish ?
I think even if Mangala Samaraweera is not a degree holder of a prestigious world institution, but he has been doing a great job sofar in the EP, representing the country internally. Now the world sees it that lankens march within international guidelines.
Who are we ? to beahve so cocky ? as had been the with Mahinda Moda Man. …. lack of knoweldge interntional politics has guided him to all nemesis to this date.
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Dankottuwa Manike / September 20, 2016
Black list man !!
Hulanga nathy pseudo pandithaya GLP is the same class of Dinesh Goon, Wimal Modaya, Gamekolla Gamanpulle etc., and he his a frustrated man as he is unable to fly like sarungole all over the world under the present regime.
He should accompanied by Sajin Vass Gunawardene to get couple of thrashes in the plane following some shots of special brews.
He must be sent to Greenland or Iceland without an overcoat to enjoy his freaky portrayal and before the nature calls him to account for his sins.
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jim softy / September 20, 2016
Who is this Milinda Moragoda or
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Sam Fernando / September 20, 2016
Just because last time succeeded they the idiots feel they can win it again. Now they have corrected it.
If not VAT how can GOVT collect the income to gap up Meeharakas overburden debts ?
These men led by MR have no right even talk about these issues. They should have long been kept in jail.
Shameless buggers sing the song as if the current govt created all the mountains of debts.
Mattala has no future
Hambantota Harbour brings nothign yet to the state income
What else, all other abusive projects not thinking twice had been done are WHITE ELEPHANTs. to this date
Please authorities, confiscate all the assets and send them all in jail.. that is the easiest way to relieve this long beaten nation.
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nimal fernando / September 20, 2016
Former Minister G. L. Peiris,
A pristine case of Sri Lankan duality. Rote-learning and a veneer of Rhodes Scholarship and Oxford cloaking a pre-historic Lankan-mindset. No imagination whatsoever – or shame/self-respect for that matter – other than crude animal survival instincts.
What a waste of an “education.”
Nimal F, The only non-patriot still standing from his last refuge.
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Aia / September 20, 2016
Really refreshing to see the new government has restored the credibility of the Supreme Court that GLP and MR are now able to seek redress, which wasn’t afforded to the opposition then. It is a major milestone. Instead of ensuring functioning of an independent judiciary, what GLP did unashamedly was, dancing the tune of an Alibaba gang, impeached a chief justice whom he himself apparently persuaded to legal practice from her academic career, all because she made a judgement that didn’t please the robbery gang.
Now he says we will again go back to supreme court, what a joke, a gang wrecked the judiciary now taking refuge under the very same safeguard. Have they leant any lessons?. GLP should be put on notice, because he who led the impeachment debate in the parliament amidst applause of all the thugs MPs. He didn’t bother even tarnishing the profession he himself belong to. That is the irony. After all this great man was at ease to be guided by Sajiin Vass, such was his meekness, or rather his intelligent to hold on to a ministerial position.
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thrishu / September 20, 2016
Before increasing VAT, Government must impose a tax on mega rich people, having find out what their assets are, how they amassed them and if they are paying taxes to the government as they ought to be.
As to GL and his JO, as an academic and a minister of the former regime, he should tell the current regime how much money came from foreign countries as loans and gifts etc, and how much of it went into Rajapaksha coffers directly (as their cuts, bribes, commissions, santosham or whatever) and indirectly (the latter from government departments to various Rajapaksha projects, masquerading as charity, this and that). This money which I consider as national assets should be clawed back, or if not beneficiaries personal assets at home or abroad confiscated.
I repeat, RW, Ravi and that lot are wrong to hoist these VAT increases on people. The rulers have already robbed the people, and now they are being robbed again to make up for what these politicians have already robbed. It is a double penalty on people, and now these robbers like GL and JO activists are pretending to be people’s guardians and protectors, when they were the ones that robbed the people in the first place.
There is a good reason for people to riot against VAT increases; it is wrong and gross to impose enormous burdens on the average citizen that have no money to spare, while the government continues to shower their politicians and privileged people in the government with disproportionate luxuries. Austerity measures MUST start from the top politicians, leaders and government ministers themselves and cascaded down through all extravagant spending programs, before they hit the streets. The only person that abide by what he preaches is the President as far as I see; what I cannot understand is, why he does not press his team to follow suit. They all need to set an example of self imposed austerity whether they like it or not.
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Lankan / September 20, 2016
Bankrupt politicians like this “Pirisi Kuttama” wants to go to courts for every single thing. Who is providing the money for his court cases? Where is he getting the money from? What did he do when Rajapakse and his 40 thieves were stealing from the masses, why didn’t he go to courts then? By the way how many votes did he get at an election – NONE!
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Lankan / September 20, 2016
Bankrupt politicians like this “Pirisi Kuttama” wants to go to courts for every single thing. Who is providing the money for his court cases? Where is he getting the money from? What did he do when Rajapakse and his 40 thieves were stealing from the masses, why didn’t he go to courts then? By the way how many votes did he get at an election – NONE! Oh by the way he is like the monkey which jumps from branch to branch. He has jumped from UNP to SLFP and now he is getting ready to jump to a new party of MP Mahinda Rajapakse. Hope he does not lose his grip while grabbing the branch and fall to the ground.
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Sam Fernando / September 20, 2016
We dont have enough professors in the country, this learnt professor could do lot more to academia if he continued to be a prof.
On the other hand what has he achieved in lanken politics ? Can he one day be satisfied the way he reacted being intoxicated to a Alibaba ?
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Leon / September 20, 2016
GLP is the most idiotic slippery professor in Srilanka. He has not done
anything worthwile during his political life in S/L He can stay with the rogues without doing anymore damage to the country.
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Nagananda / September 20, 2016
The man who behaved like a puppet under MR regime, the man who approved MR ‘vision’ to abolish the Constitutional Council to appoint men of his choice to the Judiciary, the man who stood behind MR when the constitution was changed for MR’s private benefit to contest for a 3rd term, the man who was absolutely silent when MR dumped the Chief Justice for ‘disobeying his orders’ now talks like a saint.
The media should take the full blame for giving these utterly self-centered people a breathing space again.
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Justice & Fairplay / September 21, 2016
Peiris will be remembered as the most ineffective Foreign Minister this country has EVER had.
A man without a backbone. Servility was his middle name.
He should be given a one way ticket to Siberia.
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