The inaugural session of the Student Parliament of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Colombo, was held on Friday (19)  morning at the Old Parliament Chamber of the Presidential Secretariat.

The event was organised under the ‘Vision’ programme series, a joint initiative of the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Education and the Department of Communication of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya was selected to participate in this programme as part of the initiative.

During the event, Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, Hemali Weerasekara, addressed the students on leadership, personality development and parliamentary traditions.

Senior Additional Secretary to the President, Roshan Gamage, explained the role of the President’s Fund and highlighted the programmes implemented for the benefit of school students.

Senior Presidential Adviser on Science and Technology, Professor Gomika Udugamasooriya, emphasised that life’s challenges can be overcome by critically examining every experience. He also highlighted the importance of encouraging children, from their school years onward, to explore diverse fields beyond a single subject area and to develop an innovative mindset through experimentation and discovery.

Among those present were Director General of Public Relations to the President, Dharmasiri Gamage, Director (Communications) of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, Samantha Mallawarachchi, Deputy Director (Administration) of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, Chintha Madhubhashini, Director of the Tri-Forces Coordination Unit at the Presidential Secretariat, Air Commodore Asiri Gallage; Assistant Director Lieutenant Colonel Nadeeka Dangolla; Principal of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Dr. Sumedha Jayaweera; Principal of Ananda College, Colombo, D. M. Lal Dissanayake; as well as teachers, parents and students.

(PMD)

A meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Jay Shah, Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), was held on Friday (19) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat.

Dr. Harsha points out masses are burdened with cascading taxes

While online casinos and betting roam free without being taxed

Opposition MP Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday alleged that the actual tax burden on consumers was closer to 22 percent, despite the Government’s claim that Value Added Tax (VAT) stood at 18 percent, due to the cascading impact of the Social Security Contribution Levy (SSCL).

Speaking to the media, Dr. de Silva said the SSCL was imposed at several stages of the supply chain, including manufacturing, distribution, logistics and retail, with the additional costs ultimately being passed on to consumers.

He also criticised the Government over what he described as a delay in bringing online casinos and betting applications under the tax framework, claiming that such operators continued to earn substantial revenues without contributing taxes.

Dr. de Silva said he would closely monitor the June 30 deadline set by the Government for bringing these businesses into the tax net, and questioned the reasons behind the delay.

The Opposition MP further argued that the country’s existing tax policies had placed an unfair burden on consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while allowing certain sectors to remain outside the tax system.