The Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayaka
Anura Kumara Dissanayaka disputed comments attributed to Harsha de Silva regarding tax increases and their economic impact, arguing that such statements could create unnecessary uncertainty. He said vehicle imports had been reopened and cited US$ 1,268 million in letters of credit already opened, with expectations of US$ 1.5–1.8 billion by December, while noting the need to secure dollars to manage pressure on the rupee. He stated that the country could be stabilized and that the next Budget would focus on remaining gaps in daily life, including the economy, food, education, health, roads, and services.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Saying small things is for small people; I have no issue with that. But the matter you raised is not small, Harsha. On a YouTube program—on or about the 5th—you said given the present course, from 30 per cent the tax would go to 44; India to 15. If that were so, by now the country should have collapsed once the tax applied. That did not happen. Such statements create economic uncertainty.
¶ 02 Hon. Harsha, I ask you: on vehicle imports, do not cast doubt by saying there will be no revenue. We reopened the vehicle market; there are already US$ 1,268 million in LCs opened, and we expect US$ 1.5–1.8 billion by December. We must find dollars to withstand pressure on the rupee; we have made many plans.
¶ 03 Finally, we can stabilize this country. Much work has been done. However, citizens’ daily lives—economy, food, education, health, roads, services—still face gaps. The next Budget will focus on strengthening these. I conclude, thanking you for the opportunity.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Thursday, 7 August 2025 ·No. 1755509552009433 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayaka. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 7 August 2025. No. 1755509552009433. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/24336