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by Uditha Kumarasinghe

Total confusion reigns in the sphere of monitory and public finance in the country and the Government through a special Act of Parliament has rewarded all those who gave them money behind the scene to grab our people to bring down the PA Government, PA Media Spokesman Dr.Sarath Amunugama told the PA weekly media briefing yesterday.

He said the financial debt that the Government faces is at an unprecedented level. The Government admitting that there is a shortfall of Rs.2000 million in terms of its own estimate presented at the last budget. The Government does not know how this happened.

Amunugama said Rs.2000 million which was earmarked as revenue has not gone into Government coffers. This is a total mismanagement of the funds of this country, he said.

"It is very ironic because it is this Government which always talks about the role of Parliament as against the role of the Executive Presidency. Hundreds of statements are made that they must strengthen Parliament. However in the main function of Parliament that is budgetary provision and control, the Government has failed miserably."

The Inland Revenue Special Provision Bill covers revenue which comes from a wide variety of spheres. It deals with exemption under the Exchange Control Act, Import and Export Control Act, the Exercise Measure Provision Bill, the Exercise Ordinance and the Customs Ordinance. All those levies which were due under these ordinances are now being brought under these tax amnesty, he said.

Under the Bill, the Government for the first time has given a tax amnesty to racketeers who have looted public money. Therefore the Government has no moral right to continue further. The Prime Minister should address the nation and tell the public as to who has looted this Rs.2000 million, he said.

He said the declarations under the Turnover Tax, the National Security Levy, Goods and Services Tax, Betting and Gaming Levy Act have also not being remitted to the Government. The absurd situation is that in many of these cases, money has been collected from the consumers by these people in terms of these taxes. Therefore that money is now in the hands of these people who would have had to remit it to the Government through the said tax declarations.

Meanwhile, this tax exemption is extended to some people who have already been found guilty of exchange control offenses, particularly offenses under the Customs Ordinance, Exercise Ordinance and Import Control Ordinance. In some cases they have even been taken to courts and found guilty and asked to pay up.

"It also raises other problems because under certain laws, it is only the President who can pass it. Now under this law that power is also taken over by the Finance Minister. The Finance Minister through this amendment acquires for himself the right to grant a pardon for people under these areas.

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