DSG Wigneswaran submits several changes to Finance Bill

By Chitra Weerarathne

Deputy Solicitor General Nirmalan Wigneswaran submitted several changes to the Finance Bill, when the petitions against the already published Finance Bill were called before the Supreme Court yesterday.

 The bench comprised Justice Priyantha Jayawardene, Justice Kumudini Wickramasinghe and Justice Shiran Goonaratne.

Several petitioners have complained to the Supreme Court that the tax amnesty granted to persons who have not declared their income should be given time till December 31 to declare their assets with a one percent nominal payment on the tax due to the state is unreasonable.

The petitioners want the court to declare the Bill unconstitutional.

The Deputy Solicitor General said that the amendments would be submitted to the Court on July 30.

Among the petitioners are the JVP and the SJB.

Counsel Shantha Jayawardene supporting a petition said that if drug barons and terrorist organisations made a declaration, that could not be called in evidence in a criminal Court of law because of the secrecy clause in the Bill.