Harsha de Silva criticizes government’s stance on withholding tax policies
Posted on January 7th, 2025
Courtesy Hiru News
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Harsha de Silva has called out the government for inconsistencies in its withholding tax (WHT) policies. In a tweet, de Silva questioned the omission of any reference to raising WHT on interest in the National Peoples Power (NPP) policy document, which was endorsed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake
De Silva highlighted that while the NPP pledged no taxes on incomes below Rs. 200,000 per month, this promise has already been broken. Contrasting this with the SJBs Blueprint, he noted that their proposal included increasing WHT on interest-excluding senior citizens-to compensate for revenue losses from adjusting tax slabs.
“What is the point of being truthful (clean!) I am wondering?” de Silva remarked, emphasizing the need for transparency in policy-making.
In his tweet, de Silva outlined the SJB’s approach, which proposed reducing the initial tax slab for incomes of Rs. 150,000 per month, while ensuring senior citizens were exempt from higher WHT and introducing mechanisms for refunds. He criticized the lack of similar detailed planning in the NPP’s policy, raising concerns about accountability and honesty in governance.