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Opposition under fire over passage of controversial tax Bill

Published

3 years ago

2022/12/12

Civil society and religious leaders have condemned the Opposition for its failure to carry out its legislative duties properly and prevent the government from passing tax laws to fleece the public.

Chief Incumbent of the Sugatha Dharmayathana of Mount Lavinia Ven Moraketiare Somananda Thera, addressing a press conference in Colombo, on Saturday, said that the government’s controversial new tax law, the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill, had been passed in Parliament on Friday with 79 votes for and 36 against. “That means only 36 opposition MPs were present in the House. Except the Speaker, there are 224 MPs. Of them, only 115 MPs were there when this law was passed. The MPs seem to have no concern of the plight of people. Otherwise, they would not have skipped parliamentary session on that day. They should not have allowed the passage of the new tax law at a time like this when there are protests everywhere demanding justice and people are starving without food,” Ven Somananda Thera said.

General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union Joseph Stalin, addressing an event held in Colombo to mark the Human Rights Day, questioned what other opposition MPs had been doing as only 36 had voted against the controversial Bill.

Stalin said that the new tax regime would impose an extraordinary maximum 36 per cent tax bracket on monthly income with the lowest bracket starting at 6 per cent for those earning over Rs. 100,000 per month. The only amendment of importance appears to be that the new personal income tax will come into effect from Jan 1, 2023 instead of Dec 1, 2022 – the original date intended by the Bill. “There are public protests against the new tax laws. Everybody accepts that this Inland Revenue Bill was against the interests of people. But the Opposition does not seem concerned.”

National Organizer of Youth for Change, Lahiru Weerasekera said that the new taxes had been criticised by the country’s professionals and economists. “They have pointed out that this new law will aggravate the massive brain drain. We as a nation are already battered by bankruptcy caused by massive government mismanagement and corruption. It is in this context the government is trying to fleece the public further. The results show that the opposition MPs did not have a genuine concern for people. That is why we keep telling that we cannot expect solutions for our problems from this parliament comprising MPs who jump from one side to the other from time to time to better their lot,” Weerasekera said.

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Heat Index is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the North-central and Eastern provinces and in Mannar, Vavuniya and Monaragala districts during the daytime

Published

14 mins ago

2026/05/9

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 08 May 2026, valid for 09 May 2026

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the North-central and Eastern provinces and in Mannar, Vavuniya and Monaragala districts during the daytime

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on the human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED

Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

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SLPP expresses concern over death of former SriLankan CEO

Published

2 hours ago

2026/05/9

Thilina Walpola

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) General Secretary, Sagara Kariyawasam, yesterday raised serious concerns over the death of former SriLankan Airlines CEO, Kapila Chandrasena, questioning whether the incident was a suicide, murder, or a case of being compelled to take his own life.

Addressing the media, Kariyawasam claimed that Chandrasena had recently become a controversial figure after allegedly submitting an affidavit to court detailing threats made against him.

According to Kariyawasam, the affidavit stated that Chandrasena had been taken to the office of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), where he was allegedly threatened by its Director General, Ranga Dissanayake.

Kariyawasam alleged that Chandrasena had claimed he was warned to comply with certain demands or face consequences similar to those experienced by another individual, linked to a case involving former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.

He also claimed that Chandrasena’s affidavit referred to alleged attempts to implicate former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and MP Namal Rajapaksa in legal proceedings.

Kariyawasam questioned how Chandrasena, who had reportedly been in remand custody, was able to secure two bail guarantors, and called for an immediate investigation into who introduced the guarantors and whether any prison or CIABOC officials had been involved.

He urged the courts to examine CCTV footage and conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the provision of the guarantors.

Claiming that public suspicion surrounding the death was growing, Kariyawasam said the incident could not be dismissed as a straightforward suicide.

He alleged that several recent incidents involving complainants and suspects had raised broader concerns over the rule of law and the protection of suspects’ rights in the country.

Calling for an independent investigation, Kariyawasam urged authorities to disclose the truth to the public, stressing that even suspects are entitled to legal safeguards and protections in a democratic society.

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SC orders fresh notice on Gotabaya in compensation case

Published

2 hours ago

2026/05/9

Thilina Walpola

The Supreme Court yesterday directed the petitioning party to take steps to reissue notice to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who has been named as a respondent in a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition.

The petition had been filed seeking an order to recover compensation funds allegedly paid unlawfully to former Ministers and Members of Parliament whose houses were set on fire or damaged during the countrywide violence that erupted following the purported attack on the “Aragalaya” protest site on May 9, 2022.

The Supreme Court issued this order during the hearing of the Fundamental Rights petition, which was filed seeking a declaration that the payment of such compensation was unlawful.