The Hon. Sajith Premadasa
Sajith Premadasa questioned why domestic sugar production is subject to 18 per cent VAT while imported sugar is charged only a Rs. 50 Special Commodity Levy. He challenged the Minister’s statement that the tax is an IMF condition and urged the Government, consistent with its election pledge to consult on an amended IMF agreement, to negotiate with the IMF to remove the VAT and develop a workable plan for the domestic sugar industry.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, may I make a point? The Hon. Minister did not answer a core question I asked. Hon. Minister, may I ask again? I asked why you impose 18% VAT on domestic sugar production while imported sugar is only charged Rs. 50 SCL. I ask this because you yourself have stated “there is nothing we can do; it is an IMF condition.” I have repeatedly said this in the House. You pledged on election platforms to consult the people on an agreement—an amended agreement—with the IMF. Honouring that mandate, why cannot you discuss with the IMF and remove the 18% VAT imposed on the domestic sugar industry? Why not initiate discussions and implement a workable plan?
Provenance
- Source
- Hansard, Tuesday, 3 June 2025 ·No. 1750149440002739 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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/lk/speeches/10062
Cite as: The Hon. Sajith Premadasa. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 3 June 2025. No. 1750149440002739. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/10062