Say what you like about the Inland Revenue Department- I’m not the biggest fan of Tax. Then again, who is?

Bloated Government in my opinion has held Sri Lanka back from realising its true potential, and too much collectivism has robbed Sri Lankans from the enterprenerial spirit out of which prosperous nations emerge. Sri Lankan needs reform in so many areas of government- but nothing more so than the tax system!

Its like this (according to Mrs Thacher), “A man may climb Everest for himself, but at the summit he plants his country’s flag.!” Higher taxes in order to fund the betterment of “society” has made climbing the mountain of wealth harder than it already is! Disincentive effects of a convoluted and incoherant tax system acts like a glass cieling, through which the mostly sinhalese middle class find it unnecceriy (and sometimes imposibly) hard to break-through.

Why should the middle class end up paying ridiculously high tax rates (eg 300%) for the humble (or one might even condemn them as crappy old shits) Japanese motors they buy? Isnt that extra 3x of the cost better injected into the economy, rather than into the government? And not to mention the amount of debt ordinary middle class people are accumilating?

Unnecessarily high taxation kills the motivation to work hard, take risks and make a better quality of life for themselves and their families. Why should anyone bother going into all the effort of getting richer if they can clearly see that the government is eyeing for their money, even before they have made any? I accept that money doesnt buy happiness; but I’d rathet cry in a ferrari than in a worn out reconditioned Nissan.

If politicians of today (and tomorrow) fail to build a common political concensus required to simplify and reduce the burden of taxes on the middle class as well as corperations; it will be those very same (political) promises of a better Sri Lanka that will fail to see the light of reality.

I guess its time to bury the “selfish gene” whithin me… Good Bye for now.