(Lanka-e-News - 27.Nov.2015, 9.45PM) Even before had elapsed after the exposure that behind the dismissal from the SLT Mobitel board of Krishantha Cooray and Thusitha Haloluwa , the two gentlemen Directors who worked with commitment to form a good governance government , and the appointment of corrupt Wegapitiya of ‘Laugfs’ to the board of Directors of SLT Mobitel Co., is the Sirisena and sons Co., so that the illicit commission on emission certificates levies collected by Wegapitiya can be diverted to the Sirisena and sons Co. ,in further confirmation of this story , in this year’s budget proposal the fee for emission certificate on vehicles which was standing at a reasonable rate of Rs. 1200.00 had been raised unconscionably and unreasonably to Rs. 5000.00 per vehicle.
When we probed into what prompted this sudden increase of levies on the emission certficates , and who is behind this , it was discovered that environment minister Maiithripala Sirisena who is keeping his eyes tightly closed when the environment right before him is beng destroyed , is the one who had incorporated the proposal in the budget to increase the levy four fold on emission tests on vehicles.
During the reign of the Rajapakses , a 5 % commission went to line the pockets of the ‘Rajapakse babas’ (sons of Alibaba). But now , this commission has been increased to 10 % . Hence 10 % of Rs. 5400 million is Rs. 540 million , and this full amount goes to line the pockets of good governance Sirisena and his children ( Sirisena babas who have taken over the place of the erstwhile babas of Rajapakse Alibaba) . Now, because this amount collected by avaricious Sirisena and sons Co. is inadequate ,they have incorporated in this year’s budget the increased levy from Rs. 1200.00 to Rs. 5000.00.
May we undertake the thankless task of enlightening our readers on the emission test certificate history ..
Using an ordinary individual a fundamental rights case SC/ 569/98 was filed in the supreme court (SC) citing the grounds that the vehicle emissions are having a deleterious effect. Mind you this case was in fact filed by those who are aiming at the huge cash returns out of this manipulation. It is the then notorious chief justice (CJ) Sarath Nanda Silva who ordered the environment ministry and the registrar of motor vehicles department (RMV) to find a suitable methodology to resolve this issue. This emission certificate business was the methodology proposed.
The government instead of issuing these certificates most surprisingly entrusted this to Wegapitiya’s Laugfs Co. and Akbar Bros’ Klenco Lanka Co.- two private companies.
Each of these two companies , had spent between Rs. 400 and Rs. 500 million only as capital expenditure towards this , whereas the annual income alone is over Rs. 5000 million.However, believe it or not, the income government dreives from this is only a paltry 10 %. The balance 90 % straight goes to the coffers of the two private Companies.
What truly should take place is the converse. That is 90% for the government , in other words to the people, and 10 % for the two companies. It is to be noted it is Wegapitiya’s company that is most extensive. In fact , this huge cash gain indirectly is diverted to the politicians.
Under the last regime , this colossal pecuniary gain was pocketed by the Rajapakse regime , while the possibility of part of it going into the pockets of Champika Ranawake , the environment minister at that time is not ruled out.Currently this massive pecuniary gain goes to Sirisena and his sons Co. through Wegapitiya. Although this is said to be 10 %, based on latest reports , it is much more – around 30 %.
While this being the actual situation , the somewhat reasonable levy of Rs.1200.00 has now been raised to Rs. 5000.00. Clearly this is most unreasonable.This is not a taxation through the budget .If it is a tax that should be channeled to the general treasury it is acceptable , but it is not the case. These are increases imposed by these private companies. By this raise to Rs. 5000.00 , the government gets only Rs. 500.00 that is a meager 10 %.The entire balance of Rs. 4500.00 goes to Sirisena and sons Co. via Wegapitiya.
If this anomalous situation is to be remedied , from the moment of release of a vehicle from the Ports gate , arrangements shall be made that all the provincial councils that collect the taxes be rendered eligible to collect this levy too. If people are subjected to a tax , the benefit of that payment must be conferred on the public , and not on Wegapitiyas and Akbars who have come on the scene from nowhere.Neither to the Rajapakse brothers Co. nor Srisena and sons Co. through them.
Truly and sincerely , if Maithripala Sirisena is actually fond of and cares for the environment , he can develop the solar power system by eliminating the import taxes thereon , and withdraw the taxes on the electric vehicles ,whereby he can take the preliminary measures to stamp out environmental pollution. The price of a ‘Leaf’ 100 % electric vehicle of Nissan Co. was Rs. 2.2 million before 8 th January, but now its price range has risen as high as between Rs. 3.4 million and Rs. 4.2 million.
However ,when attending the UN Eco conference , what is written by Karunaratne Paranavitharne is read like a parrot repeating the words though a big din is made ,before proudly returning to Sri Lanka. Sitting at the banquet table of the world leaders and remaining like a dumb idiot , serves no useful purpose. Moreover after returning to SL too nothing useful is being done based on the Eco conference decisions. Can a better performance be expected from an individual who during the period of 20 years as a grama sevaka and minister did nothing useful or served any worthwhile causes?
In the circumstances , all what we are humbly and earnestly requesting from Maithripala Sirisena the minister of environment is , withdraw this gigantic ‘kappam ‘ (extortion) plan and proposal immediately.
Based on the fuel volume and the fuel combustion this levy can be varied. For instance this levy can be imposed on vehicles of 2000 cc fuel capacity because such vehicles owners have the ability to pay this kappam payment to Sirisena and sons Co. A buyer of such a vehicle at that high price can well afford to pay this levy.
At the same time increasing the levy to even Rs.10,000.00 in respect of vehicles of over 3000 cc capacity is no issue .For instance a Toyota Land Crusher that was used in Japan fetches a price of Rs. 15 million approximately.For those who can afford such vehicles , the kappam payment to Sirisena and sons Co. can be doubled . On the other hand , Sirisena and sons Co. demanding relatively high levies( kappams) from low income earning owners of cheap vehicles is to devastate them on a scale worse than exposing them to a thunderbolt attack .
The Sirisenas cannot escape the wrath and curse of the people whom they are subjecting to such suffering simply to make a fast buck at their expense . Sirisena may have been able to become a ruler by accident owing to some filthy act in the previous birth , but that does not mean at least now he must immediately cleanse himself of the dirt and dross if he is to be born as a human again.This is because though the masses are tolerating and patiently waiting until Sirisena abolishes the promised executive presidency , the deities are not going to wait that long.
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by (2015-11-27 16:22:04)
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