The 2024 budget is completely based on the IMF proposals, says National People’s Power Member of Parliament Vijitha Herath. He mentioned that the government is currently planning to impose new taxes such as wealth tax and inheritance tax from January 2024 on the advice of the IMF. He mentioned this while addressing the Patadumbara Election Conference.
He mentioned that as a tradition in this country, the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance published a newspaper notice asking for public suggestions for the budget, but this time the notice was not published because the budget was prepared not on the basis of public opinion but on the orders of the International Monetary Fund.
He said that the budget for the year 2024 will also be based on the proposals of the International Monetary Fund, just as the electricity bill was increased after the condition of the International Monetary Fund to release the second tranche of the Extended Fund Facility of the International Monetary Fund.
The MP said that the International Monetary Fund has requested the government to introduce new taxes through the 2024 budget to increase the state revenue from the current 9 percent to 12 percent.