Sri Lanka unions to strike if president doesn’t meet for talks on interim solution for tax woes
COLOMBO – Trade unions and professional associations in Sri Lanka have renewed a threat to go on strike if a promised meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe to discuss an interim solution to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-backed income tax hike issue does not materialize.
Secretary, Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), Dr Haritha Aluthge, told reporters on Monday (27) that during a recent meeting held with President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake, the Professionals’ Trade Union Alliance (PTUA), of which the GMOA is a key partner, was promised a meeting with President Wickremesinghe by the end of last week.
The purpose of the meeting, said Aluthge, was to discuss an “interim solution” to the professionals’ grievances over the progressive income tax hike until a reported revision that’s due in six months when the country’s recently approved 17 IMF program comes up for review.
Admitting that the response from the president’s secretary to go for an interim solution based on recommendations made by the professionals was a positive one, Aluthge reiterated that a meeting was promised with the president to discuss the interim solution proposed by the government and any reliefs provided to professionals through that so that a final agreement could be reached.
“That meeting was to be held at the end of last week, but still hasn’t happened,” he said, warning, “Don’t underestimate and insult the patience and sacrifices of the professionals. We will not hesitate to go for serious trade union action including strikes.”
A privately-owned English-language weekly newspaper reported on Sunday (26) that the IMF had indicated the possibility of revising some of the taxes imposed as part of the IMF’s staff-level agreement with Sri Lanka when the program comes up for review in six months.
According to the newspaper, IMF officials had conveyed this to representatives of trade unions during a virtual roundtable held last Friday (24). The virtual meeting was held on the initiative of the IMF and was attended by trade unions and professional associations representing the PTUA including the GMOA.
-economynext.com
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