I was reading the newspapers a few days ago and I happened to notice that a new tax called “Green Tax” aka “Environment Tax” is to be introduced. It also says that anyone who owns a car, house and mobile phone will have to pay Rs 20/= per month. Another is that a tax will be imposed on electronic products, computers and mobile phones in order for them to be recycled. As far as I know there is no mass scale recycling in Sri Lanka of the mentioned products so why tax them for a non existing cause and why should we pay recycling charges for brand new products.
The environment seems to be used as an excuse for funding an aimless and fruitless war and also to increase politicos personal wealth. The war is causing severe pollution in the northern/eastern areas of this island and the so called “Green Tax” is actually going cause more harm than good.
The Minister who is charge of managing the environmental should be more actively involved in protecting it rather than implementing taxes that are not relevant to environmental protection.
Nov 13, 2007 at 6:47 pm
//As far as I know there is no mass scale recycling in Sri Lanka of the mentioned products so why tax them for a non existing cause//
Rather silly question. Why do you pay for a shoe or a book that you don’t own not yet. You pay first and then you get your item. First pay for recycling and then you will get the service.
Is that about war? Indirectl, Could be. After all, we spend so much money on war, we could have spend on something else.
You did a very poor argument here. You can do better – I know you can. This tax is about environment and that is what the minister is doing. But you assume he is using it for war– you have no facts – just an imagination. And then you come to the conclusion, base on your imagination, green tax is not about environment.
Regarding your headline, there is nothing “Sorry” about funding the war in Sri Lanka. It is not a war we started, or we didn’t invade another country. It is a war about survival of the country and you and I alive today, make a living, blog, under the relative security provided by the government. Nothing come free in this world – specially security.