News
SJB questions tax exemptions given to Adani-led project
The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) raised the issue of tax exemptions given to West Container Terminal (WCT) at a meeting chaired by Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance.
This was the first Committee meeting held for the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament.
India’s Adani Group in late September last year sealed a deal with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) to develop and run the strategic Colombo Port’s West Container Terminal. Adani secured 51 per cent stake at the WCT.
The two local entities would hold 34 % (SLPA) and 15 (JKH) % cent stakes of the new joint company titled the West Container International Terminal.
A statement issued by Parliament yesterday (10) stated that the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2254/2 of 15th November 2021 for the purpose of tax exemptions for the West Container Terminal (WCT-1) Expansion Development Project for under the Strategic Development Projects Act, No. 14 of 2008 was also approved at the Committee meeting.
“It will exempt the shareholders of the project from income tax for a period of 25 years and VAT, PAL, Cess and Customs exemptions will be for a period of 5 years. MP Harsha de Silva has asked the newly appointed Chairman to the Board of Investments (BOI) Raja Edirisuriya how appropriate this tax exemption is for a country like Sri Lanka which is suffering from economic difficulties. MP Prof. Ranjith Bandara pointed out that granting such tax exemptions is essential in order to compete with other countries in the current context, according to the statement,” the statement added.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution forwarded by the Minister Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to appoint R. A. Chandana Saman Ranaweera Arachchi a special grade officer of Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) as the Commissioner
General of Lands.
Approval was granted at the cabinet meeting held on 05-08-2024 to resettle the unauthorized residents in the railway reserve from the Maligawatte Loco junction to Padukka railway station under the Colombo Suburban Railway Project.
Accordingly, resettlements in 694 housing units which were purchased from housing complexes owned by the Urban Development Authority have already been completed and further, 144 housing units are due
to be received from the Urban development Authority. In addition, a housing complex consisting of 120 housing units is being constructed on land in Kottawa, Malapalla area which is owned by the Railway Department for the resettlement of unauthorized residents in Maharagama, Homagama, Padukka area where there are no housing
schemes of the Urban Development Authority, and the constructions of that housing scheme is being completed at present.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, Port, and Civil Aviation to transfer the land located in Kottawa, Marapalla, belonging to the Sri Lanka Railway Department, and the housing complex within the said land to the National Housing Development Authority as a free grant in terms of the provisions of Section 6(1) of the Government Land Ordinance and to implement the said program of providing the relevant deeds to the selected beneficiaries in such a way as not to burden them financially.
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to appoint Dr. Mrs. E. R. S. P. Edirimanne serving as a special grade officer in Sri Lanka Agriculture Service in the post of Additional Secretary (Agri Technology) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation as the Commissioner General of Agriculture,
R A Chandana Saman Ranaweera Arachchi appointed as Commissioner General of Lands
Resettlement of unauthorized residents in Kelaniveli Railway Reserves
Dr. Mrs. E. R. S. P. Edirimanne appointed Commissioner General of Agriculture
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