The people in our country are paid salaries and pensions because of the income generated by the government such as customs. Customs generates around 60% of the government revenue. However, the income lost by the Customs due to fraud and corruption by government authorities is over Rs. 25,000 million. From that an amount of Rs. 6500 million was lost due to the money launderer, Ravi Karunanayake. This took place with the help of a businessman who imports vehicles known as Harsha Prabhath Silva. In the year of 1998, a person named Harsha Prabhath Silva started a business of selling car parts in Sri Lanka which are brought from overseas. A case was filed against Harsha Prabhath Silva by the Customs. Customs officials said that the importation and re-sale of vehicle parts is done in order to avoid the huge tax imposed by the customs to a full whole vehicle. But it was later decided by the court to impose the same tax imposed on a full whole vehicle to vehicle parts that are being imported.
On the condition that Harsha Prabhath Silva would add 30% of the value locally, Harsha Prabhath started a company called Vehicle Lanka Private Limited with approval of the investment board. The aim of this company was to to assemble used car parts and manufacture vehicles. However, the law does not allow the registration of vehicles manufactured with used parts as a new vehicle. Therefore, the Commissioner of Motor Traffic refuses to register such vehicles.Challenging the decision, Harsha Prabhath filed a case in the Supreme Court. As a result of a policy decision taken by the Ministry, the Ministry agreed to register 2250 vehicles. Though, this settlement was made to register 2250 vehicles, by showing this settlement to the import controller who was deceived by it, a license to bring down parts for 2250 vehicles was obtained. But even though parts were brought through this license, these parts are being held by the Customs. The reason for this was that they were not allowed to import vehicle parts in the settlement but to pay the tax imposed on an entire vehicle when parts are imported.
However, after the overthrow of the previous government in 2015, Ravi Karunanayake the new finance minister was appointed. In the Budget Speech of 2016, Ravi Karunanayake proposed to use the Budget Proposal No. 560 to allow the registration of vehicles made from used parts in Sri Lanka by charging them a fine. From this budget proposal, Harsha Prabhath Silva is the only person benefited from it. Ravi Karunanayake proposed this Budget to Parliament for the lucrative purpose of making a profit for himself and Prabhath Silva. Ravi Karunanayake, who does not stand by this motion, submitted the Cabinet Paper No. 16/1586/719/103 dated 30.09.2016, recommended that the company Vehicle Lanka Private Limited established by Harsha Prabhath Silva should comply with the above law. By showing the above verdict, Ravi Karunanayake tried to mislead the cabinet.
Custom officials pointed out that if taxes were to be imposed on vehicle parts, per vehicle would be taxed an amount of Rs. 661,268 which will have to be paid. But for a small vehicle with an engine capacity of 1300cc, a taxed amount of Rs. 3,575,000 will have to be paid by the Customs. Accordingly, the Customs will incur a loss of at least Rs. 2,913,732 per vehicle. But since all the vehicles he imports are not 1300cc, the customs loss would be at least Rs. 6.6 billion to Rs. 25 billion. The nation traitor Ravi Karunanayake, who destroys the resources of this country should be expelled.
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