Citizens' mail
I quote below the following particulars in respect of the above tax
for due compliance:
Rate
It was fixed at 1 percent on February 1, 2009 and was increased to 3
percent on May 1, 2009. Further 66 2/3 percent of this tax is disallowed
for tax purpose with effect from May 1, 2009. Therefore at the present
company taxation rate of 35.525 percent (Including SRL), this NBT of 3
percent with 2 percent disallowed for income tax purpose is equivalent
to an effective rate of 4.102 percent.
Input claim plant and machinery
An exporter who imports plant and machinery to manufacture goods to
be exported is liable to pay NBT at Customs. He cannot claim NBT input,
as there is no NBT output liability on export turnover.
A manufacturer who imports plant and machinery to manufacture
articles could claim NBT input like raw materials.
A manufacturer who purchases plant and machinery from another
manufacturer to be used to manufacture articles could claim NBT input in
respect of plant and machinery provided they are manufactured in Sri
Lanka (Not imported).
I suggest the public at large to obtain clarifications from tax
consultants and act accordingly.
S.R. Balachandran
Council Member
National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka
A very appropriate editorial in the Daily News on July 31, 2009 was
read with much thoughts and I think this may be read by most of the
readers too.
As described in the editorial there are many incidents and events
that had taken place during the month of July. The first Woman Prime
Minister of the World Sirimavo Bandaranaike was elected in the month of
July 1960. And as mentioned in the editorial the worst horrifying
incident in the history of Sri Lanka took place in the month of July
1983. It is called Black July. And also the administration of the
country was totally disrupted as a result of 1980 July strike. The peace
accord initiated by India was signed in the month of July 1987. And as a
result of this, the country plunged into serious trouble and Indian Army
was deployed in the North. The riffle assault on the Indian Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Sri Lanka was a much talked incident in the
world in the month of July 1987.
It is the month associated with bloodshed and mayhem in the country.
Most of the incidents were not in favour of the country's development.
As these incidents took place on the month of July the country suffered
most.
In the meantime every year in this month we have most sacred
festivals in the country. First it is the Dalada Pageant in Kandy and
Esala Festival in Kataragama. And for the Catholic, it is Madhu Festival
in this month.
Somasiri P. Liyanage
Galle
Ramadhan in Islam, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, during
which all Muslims must fast during the daylight hours. Indulgence of any
sort is forbidden during the fast. There are only a few who are exempt
eg: soldiers fighting in the cause of defending Islam, the sick and the
young. Because of the purely Lunar calendar Ramadhan falls in different
seasons.
The final day of Ramadhan Id ul Fitr is celebrated by a day of
feasting.
The first revelation of the Holy Quran is commemorated in this month.
As an act of atonement Muslims are required to observe fasting and
abstain from sexual activity during the daytime of Ramadhan.
Therefore all Muslims should observe fasting throughout this month of
Ramadhan. As a result of fasting, we experience hunger and thirst of the
poor people and develop a sympathetic attitude to the destitutes who
lack food to eat.
Therefore, the rich Muslims should give charity to the poor Muslims
in this month.
Rimza Meeadh
Kandy
I watched the Raja Kaduwa program which was telecast on a private TV
channel on August 16 wherein the English teacher made the following
statements:
1. Let bygone be bygone - whereas it should be 'Let bygones be
bygones'
2. Union is strength - whereas it should be 'Unity is strength.'
May I suggest that the English teacher concerned brushes up his
English before expounding to his students.
Rajith Gamini Perera
Panadura
Adults only films are a taboo to the teenagers. Our Minister of
Education Susil Premajayantha has taken the right action in the right
direction.
He has ruled that teenagers should not watch adults only films. Of
course, this is a wise welcome decision.
Naturally teenagers are tempted to watch such films primarily because
of their tempting age. As such we, elders should wisely guide them and
direct them.
Our children get corrupted. Teen age is a critical age, they
naturally fall a prey to these tempting scenes due to their sexual urge
- a natural urge at this stage.
Parents are helpless in preventing their children from watching these
films. Certain elements resort to such law, base methods to seduce the
young minds to boost their business. So now our Minister has come to our
rescue - rescue of the parents. Parents are much relieved. We as parents
offer our praises and plaudits to Minister for having taken this welcome
step which would lead to the creation of decent society.
We are thankful to the Minister and media which have given wide
publicity to this ruling.
S.S.B. Subramaniam
I refer to an article written by A.D. Abeyweera on the Indian flag,
sometime back.
Although he had written in great detail about it's meaning he had not
mentioned its source and history.
The various colours symbolize peace etc. The wheel depicted in the
centre is the Asoka-Chakra or the Dhamma-Chakra which is a part of the
Lions-symbol obtained from the Varanasi, Saranath, Asokan temple. I got
these details from the Indian High Commission.
T. Wickremasinghe
Colombo 9
There had been several views aired in the print media over a long
period of time on the subject of burdening schoolchildren of carrying
heavy schoolbags containing all the textbooks, exercise books and other
requisites in the schoolbags. But very unfortunately the schoolchildren
had suffered all this long as the matter had remained unresolved.
I believe that the educational authorities have not bothered to solve
this simple matter of highest priority and it had remained unresolved
causing the schoolchildren to be burdened and suffered over this issue.
Due to carrying heavy bags many children over a length of time have
found it difficult to stand erect due to hunchbacks. The blame for this
pathetic physical ailment should be borne by all high educational
authorities who have failed to bring about an easy solution. The
educational authorities headed by the Education Minister has so many
provincial, regional offices where there are hundreds of officials and
school principals and it is very pity that a solution for this much
talked topic has been allowed to remain unresolved.
It is pertinent to mention that although all textbooks and exercise
books are carried in the schoolbags only a very negligible amount of
books are used in the classroom. It is very surprising that this very
important matter had dragged on without being amicably settled. It is
learnt that very soon this matter is going to end with the introduction
of a 'magical' schoolbag to ease the burden of the children who have
suffered to date. Anyway whoever who is introducing it, it has to be
done expeditiously.
Sunil Thenabadu
Mount Lavinia
The police is not there to serve and protect but to show their big
assumed ego and aggressiveness to the public. Most have not learnt to
address the public in a decent way. No decent citizen likes to visit a
police station for anything.
These people work with the impression that everyone who comes there
is a criminal.
Almost everyone, get their due from the butcher, wine store owner
etc. free of charge. These are known facts.
Its time to clean up this department without shuffling the weaknesses
under the carpet. Police Department is a very important place for the
good health of a country.
L de Silva
via email
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