The Hon. Upali Samarasingha - Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, today we debated the Rules under the Excise Ordinance and the Regulation under the Special Commodity Levy Act. From our perspective, we must ask: why are such measures necessary, and how do these rules and levies affect the people and the economy? Instead of focusing on these, the Opposition largely presented childish arguments and various statements.

¶ 02 Significant revenue for public services comes via Sri Lanka Excise. For decades, loopholes and lax legal frameworks allowed racketeers and the corrupt to siphon public revenue. Our aim is not to impose new taxes arbitrarily but to amend existing laws, close loopholes, and ensure fair collection so evaders can be held accountable.

¶ 03 As Hon. Sudath Balagalla mentioned earlier, ordinary people pay for their alcohol—beer or arrack—out of their hard-earned money. But the businesses often fail to remit due taxes to banks or the Treasury. Through these legal reforms, we will ensure that public tax money reaches the Treasury.

¶ 04 Regarding agricultural commodity levies, as Minister Nalin Hewage stated, despite notices and circulars clarifying matters, the Opposition keeps spreading falsehoods. We have had levy policies for potatoes and onions for years. Yet the country still struggles to produce enough. Our Government is trying to address food security and reduce production costs while developing the agro-industry. Thank you.