Those who conduct fasts and evade paying taxes not patriots - Finance Minister

by L.B. Wijayasiri in Kandy

Finance and Planning Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama said in Kandy that those opposed to the restructuring of the Electricity Board and Petroleum Corporation, were gradually squeezing the throat of the national economy by doing so. Those who were conducting fasts, sathyagrahas and protest marches could not be recognized to be patriots (Desha Hithaishis). It was those who earn money the legal way and paid taxes to the government to be utilized for the development of the country who are the real patriots.

Dr. Amunugama made those observations when he addressed government tax officials, tax payers and bankers at the new premises of the regional office of the Inland Revenue Department which he opened at No. 6 Dharmaraja Mawatha, Kandy.

Commissioner General of Inland Revenue L.P.L. Weerasinghe, Central Provincial Council Chief Government Whip Dilum Amunugama, Additional Inland Revenue Commissioner General T.B. Karunasena and Deputy Commissioner Kandy W.D.P.S. Shanthi Kumari and R.M.N. Ekanayake were Present.

Minister Amunugama said that steps were being taken to present "Gold Cards" and "Silver Cards" to honest tax payers so that they could make use of them to obtain preference over others and concessions when they visited police stations, hospitals and government offices for official matters.

This is in recognition of their invaluable contribution to the country's economy. It was with the taxes paid by them, that the salaries of public servants, funding for the country's development work and services like roads, hospitals, education were provided to the people. Therefore, they deserved special treatment from society over others who evaded paying taxes on income earned through various legal and illegal means like the kasippu business.

There were a great number of people who earned large sums of money of which most earned through illegal and antisocial activities, but they the greatest tax evaders. But it was those who have worked hard to develop their business and small scale industries who regularly pay their taxes. When those who earned an income, but refrain from paying taxes, then the government is compelled to borrow money from abroad, to continue those services and development works. Three segments from which large volume of taxes could be collected were the customs, excise, and inland revenue. Tax from the last segment was being collected but not from customs and excise. Steps had been taken to computerize those institutions so that those incomes too would be received by the Inland Revenue Department to remedy the situation.

When war situations and unsettled situations were prevalent the country could not get foreign borrowings. Then the only remedy was to print currency notes, which resulted in high rate of inflation and arise in the prices of consumer goods and rise in the COL. When that happened not only the poor people but also well to do people including tax payers would be affected, added Finance Minister Dr. Amunugama.

If the government was permitted to restructure the Electricity Board, consumers would have been asked to pay Rs. 2.60 less. Since it was not permitted the cost was on the increase. Yet those who opposed this move, claimed to be patriots, those who paid taxes to the Treasury were not traitors to the nation. But those who were opposed to every step taken for the benefit of the people and for the development of the country and involved in fasts, sathyagrahas and protest campaigns were the real traitors to the nation, he added.

Dr. Amunugama added that former Chinese President Deng Zio Ping had said that "to be rich is to be a patriot". Patriotic ideals should be identified by statements of that nature. However, to become rich, money should not be earned through illegal or antisocial means. It should be within the framework of law and justice. Otherwise those who earned through unscrupulous means would end up in jail instead of being decent and honourable.

He said that under the latest developments Sri Lanka garments could be sold in the European Union market at competitive rates. However, when the cost of electricity and other production costs increase it would not be possible for Sri Lanka to compete with other countries Without the restructuring of the Electricity Board and the Petroleum Corporation, the country would not prosper. Every month, the CEB, CPC and the CTB were standing at the door to the Treasury begging for funds. Those corporations were begging for money to pay the salaries of their employees. Can any government continue or tolerate this he, asked.

Commissioner General Inland Revenue L.P.L. Weerasinghe, Additional Commissioner General T.B. Karunasena, R.M.N. Ekanayake and Deputy Commissioner Kandy (Mrs) W.D.P.S. Shanthi Kumari also spoke.