The government’s decision to levy a new tax on the income earned by Sri Lankans who are self-employed and earn dollars will have very serious consequences, former Minister Manusha Nanayakakara said at a media briefing held in Colombo.
As currently reported, a new 15% tax is to be levied on the money earned from this country by providing services to foreign bodies , and he further stated that these self-employed workers who provide services to foreigners did a great job in bringing in the dollars needed to boost the country’s economy when the country went bankrupt two or three years ago. Expressing further opinions, the former Minister said:
” When the country went bankrupt and the people were in trouble without fuel, gas, and medicine, the migrant workers took steps to send the dollars to the country. At the same time, those who provided services to foreigners from Sri Lanka brought the dollars when country needed it most. At that time, we took steps to provide special facilities to those who sent dollars to the country as well as those who provided services to foreigners and brought dollars.
Accordingly, the country that had fallen into a recession was able to recover. The fuel, gas, and medicine queues were eliminated and the country was recovered with the dollars received from these people. In a country that did not have $20 million, we were able to save $6 billion dollars in this way. These people sent $13 billion as remittances. By imposing a tax on the dollars sent by these people, the government is trying to lose the dollars the country receives.
We tell the government not to take steps to fall down this country again. We recovered this country when it was in decline. Similarly, we are not hypocritical enough to be happy to see the country fall again. Even though the group that said not to send dollars to the country back then is in power today, we are saying to send dollars to this country. Also, we are telling the government not to impose such taxes that discourage those who send dollars to the country.
A digital economy is coming. It is not very good thing to distueb it The government must support the development of that economy. The adverse effects of this will be seen soon. Therefore, we request that this decision be reversed.