Lankathruth.com
When milk powder enters the open market an extra amount is added other than relevant taxes which also include the import tax of Milk powder reveals JVP Parliamentarian Anura Dissanayake. He said this in response to an answer Non-Cabinet Minister of State Revenue and Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya gave to a question asked by Parliamentarian Premasiri Manage.
Parliamentarian Manage asked the Minister Siyambalapitiya how much was spent for importing milk food, how much is collected by the government as taxes and what was the price in the market. Minister Siyambalapitiya replying said a kilo gram of milk powder when imported costs Rs.257, the government levies a tax of Rs.145 per kilo of milk power and the price in the market is between Rs.530 and Rs.585.
Mr. Dissasnayake intervening pointed out that imported cost plus tax was only Rs.402 (Rs.257 + Rs.145 = Rs.402) but the price in the market is Rs.530 to 585 which is questionable. He pointed out that an unexplained amount of Rs.128 has been added to the price of milk powder when it goes to the market and asked the minister to explain why that amount is added to the price.
First Minister Siyambalapitiya was reluctant to answer the question and tried to avoid answering the question by stating the tax of Rs.145 was levied to encourage the local milk farmer. However, the Minister could not answer the question asked by Mr. Dissanayake as to why an extra Rs.128 is added to the price of milk powder.