The URF has accused the government of lying to the people as the presidential election nears.
Speaking to the media, the party’s activists in Gampaha especially referred to the proposed property tax set to become effective from April 2025.
Its national organizer Sumedha Ratnayake said they could not accept assurances given by the president and the finance ministry that the tax would not be levied for the first property.
Giving statistics, he said the expectation of the tax is to collect 0.4 per cent of the GDP, or Rs. 48 billion, by 2026.
According to 2021 figures, the country has 5.1 million housing units and if the tax is applicable to all of them, each will have to pay Rs. 9,500 annually.
If not, more than Rs. 100,000 a year will have to be charged from less than the 100,000 houses which are not the first properties, he said.
Their excuse is that failure to raise state revenue to 15 pc of the GDP by 2025 could result in another financial crisis, noted the URF national organizer.
