Acting Finance Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena revealed in Parliament that the government would consider to release the vehicles that were imported by professionals through companies by opening LCs before the Tax was increased.
The Acting Minister said the matter is being discussed with the President and other relevant parties and hope to come to a solution soon.
He made these observations in Parliament yesterday when Joint Opposition member Dinesh Gunawardena requested the Acting Finance Minister to work for the release of the vehicles that have been lying in the Hambantota Port for a long time.
These vehicles were imported by professionals such as doctors and professors. He added that those professionals had opened their LCs to import the vehicles before the Tax was increased. He added that tax of some of those vehicles had been increased by Rs. 4 million. He also said that the matter has been brought to the notice of the President too.
“Those vehicles are being decaying at the harbor as they are unable to pay the additional tax,” said MP Dinesh Gunawardena. “So I request the acting Minister to personally get involved to solve their issue. Some vehicles whose LCs were opened before the Tax was increased have been released by the government. The minister has provisions under the Act to grant such relief”.
Acting Minister Abeywardena said the vehicles whose LCs were opened under personnel names had been released. “The vehicles whose LCs were opened under companies names were not granted the same relief,”the Acting Minister said. “But there are professionals who had opened the LCs under company name. In such cases government is attempting to implement a special mechanism. We have discussed that matter even with the President. However,I can’t predict the outcome by now”. He added that if it were released the owners would have to submit an affidavit to the effect that they would not sell those vehicles.
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