Ravi says people will be relieved from tax burden once economy is improved

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake on Saturday said that the imposition of taxes would only be a short-term measure and would be revised to give relief to the people once the economy gained momentum through current strategies.

The Minister pointed out that the plan to build the country’s economy had already been in place under the guidance of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Minister Karunanayake expressed these views at a ceremony held to declare open a fully-fledged grain storehouse complex in Murunkan in the Mannar District on 26 January. 

To mark the opening of the storehouse, the Minister received stocks of paddy from several farmers at the complex.

Addressing the gathering after the opening of the storehouse, Minister Karunanayake said that the current Government had been taking all possible measures to uplift the living condition of the farming community.

“We have already set up storehouses similar to this in the Anuradhapura and Moneragala districts. It assured that the income of farmers in the area has increased by 35%-40% after the two storehouses were set up. We want this money to swell the pockets of farmers. There was waste in the past but today there is a conducive environment created to put them on the correct path. Rs. 264 million was spent to build this storehouse. It has a capacity to store 10,000 metric tonnes of harvest at a stretch. Farmers can store their bumper stocks in this depot during the harvest season and fetch a better price for them during the off season. Although agriculture contributes only 10% to the Gross Domestic Product, 35%-40% of our labour force still depends on the agricultural sector. Therefore, there is a dire need to improve the agricultural sector,” he said. 

“One of the prime goals of this Government is to strengthen the agricultural sector under the guidance of His Excellency President Maithripala Sirisena and the Honourable Prime Minister thereby assuring a better tomorrow for the farming community in the island. We will set up six pioneer storehouses of this kind throughout the country. We will assess the progress of them and, on their performance, will take further action to build more depots accordingly. Simultaneously, we will take action to build four cool houses throughout the country.

“The British rulers asked the late Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake whether he had competence to give leadership to the country and the ability to continue harmony before they gave independence to Sri Lanka in 1948. Today, we have been able to achieve many things as a result of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who formed a unity government by combining the two major political parties in the country. Therefore many are of the opinion that it is apt to introduce a new Constitution to correct the existing shortcomings by preserving the unitary status of the country to enable all communities to live in harmony under one Sri Lankan identity.