VAT passed
The Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill was passed in Parliament yesterday with a majority of 66 votes.
The bill received 112 votes in favour and 46 against while 65 MPs were absent.
MPs of the Joint Opposition and the JVP voted against the bill.
All TNA MPs including the Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan were absent.
Joint opposition MPs were wearing black armbands in protest against the Bill.
At the end of the second reading stage debate on the bill Joint Opposition MP Bandula Gunawardena asked for a division by name.
The vote was taken amidst disturbances caused by the JO Parliamentarians.
Accordingly the VAT would be applicable to a large number of goods and services including telecom fees and tobacco with effect from midnight yesterday.
Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said that the VAT would not be applicable to health and hospital services, postal, housing and smart phones. The government expected a revenue increase of Rs 1.8 billion by the end of this year from the new tax increase.
The list of items exempted from the tax is as follows: wheat flour, rice, sugar, lentil, wheat, dry fish, canned fish, Maldives fish, spices, bread, liquid milk, tea, rubber, coconut, coconut milk, coconut oil, prawns, eggs, fruits, vegetable, potato, sprats, red onion, garlic, big onions, green gram, chillies, cowpea, chick peas, dhal, coriander, peanuts, fertiliser, medicine manufacturing equipment and machines, medicine packing equipment, wheel chairs, ayurvedic products, crutches, hearing aids, Braille equipment, Braille paper, spectacle frames, spectacle producing raw material, outpatient department services, consultations and diagnostic services, surgical services, caesarian services, transport services, diesel, kerosene, petrol, jet fuel, vehicles liable for production taxes, bowsers, agricultural seeds, agricultural plants, agricultural machinery, tractors, bakery products, fisheries equipment, paddy mill machinery, milk processing machinery, greenhouse machinery, electricity, solar energy, computer parts, power saving bulbs, education services, computer software, sports equipment, life insurance, books, mobile phones, gems, pearls, diamonds, gold, platinum, library services, housing rentals and leasing.
The opposition called for a division at the end of third reading too. The third reading vote received 76 votes in favour and 23 against. Accordingly the bill was passed with amendments.
(Source: The Island – By Saman Indrajith)
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What a terrible day!
Our Honourable Chief Justice (from the North) slit the throats of the population by agreeing to the VAT Bill.
They, the Tamils including the Late Mr VP and Mr CW, are all cut throats.
The chief justice is honorable and always be so as you will be able to see when the fundamental rights to tax all public servants with all the perks they receive comes up for inquiry which will also be correcting a human rights violation and will also reduce VAT to 5% and give us a surplus budget
It is pretty obvious that our entire socio-political fabric is corrupt to the core,
We change political parties in leadership roles every 10 years or so. But what do we, the citizens get out of that process?
We get a rulers who compete against the previous set in self-enrichment.
We need a strong leader of the stature of Rohana Wijeweera or V Prabaharan.
You are joking Channa Galpage . Stature of these murderess? Keep it in your own garden. You should be shamed and shot dead in public for making statements like that.