Namal Urges President to Deliver on Election Promises of Tax Relief for School Supplies and Essential Foods

Namal Urges President to Deliver on Election Promises of Tax Relief for School Supplies and Essential Foods

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa has written an official letter to President and Minister of Finance Anura Kumara Dissanayake, urging the government to incorporate tax exemptions on essential goods for schoolchildren into the forthcoming 2027 Budget.

In his letter, Rajapaksa highlighted the growing burden on families due to the rising costs of living and educational expenses. He called on the administration to honor policy commitments made during the 2024 presidential election campaign, where the National People’s Power (NPP) promised to remove Value Added Tax (VAT) on school supplies and essential food items.

Rajapaksa cited the NPP’s 2024 Presidential Election Manifesto, noting that its tax framework specifically proposed a 0% VAT rate on critical goods and services. He emphasized that the manifesto explicitly listed schoolbooks, exercise books, stationery, educational equipment, local milk and eggs, infant milk, and vital child nutrition products for zero-rated VAT.

The opposition lawmaker requested a formal review of the existing VAT and other indirect tax structures currently imposed on these commodities, calling for their complete removal in the 2027 Budget as originally promised to the public.

He noted that implementing these tax reliefs would provide immediate financial relief to low- and middle-income households while serving as a crucial investment in the health, nutrition, and education of the nation’s children.

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