Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has accused the government of failing to take action on US taxes imposed several months ago, despite warnings from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. Premadasa made these remarks during a public meeting in the Dedigama electorate ahead of the upcoming local government elections.
Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Parliamentarian Prasad Siriwardana had also raised concerns about the issue. During his tenure, Wickremesinghe planned to remove the CESS and PAL import taxes to counter the US President’s tariff war. He had also pledged to eliminate these taxes within five years during the 2023 budget presentation.
Wickremesinghe’s strategy involved reducing taxes on imports from the US and other countries and using economic diplomacy to persuade the US to offer concessions on tariff impositions on Sri Lanka. However, the effectiveness of this approach was questioned, especially given the sudden reduction of taxes on US purchases in the budget and the uncertainty surrounding President Trump’s response.
