March 03, Colombo (LNW): Deputy Minister of Economic Development Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando, has firmly denied claims made by a local newspaper that the government intends to impose a 15 per cent tax on remittances sent by Sri Lankan migrant workers.
Speaking in Parliament today, Fernando addressed the misinformation, which he described as an attempt to tarnish the government’s reputation and undermine his role as Deputy Minister.
The false reports, published in a Sunday newspaper, suggested that the 2025 Budget would introduce a tax on remittances, a move which would significantly impact the millions of Sri Lankan families who rely on money sent by relatives working abroad.
However, Minister Fernando clarified that the 2025 Budget, which had already been presented and passed in Parliament, did not include any such provision.
He expressed concern that the article, which also quoted him, was not only factually incorrect but had also violated his parliamentary privileges.
Fernando accused the newspaper of deliberately publishing misleading information to create confusion and harm the credibility of both himself and the government.
In response, he called for the matter to be referred to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee to investigate the issue thoroughly and take the necessary action against the publication.
