UNP Kandy District Leader tells govt. not to touch EPF funds belonging to hard pressed workers

BY CYRIL WIMALASURENDRE

KANDY –

Kandy district United National Party (UNP) leader and former member of the Central Provincial Council Shanthini Kongahage yesterday warned the government against taxing the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).

The EPF Account contained the savings of employees of the private sector and no one had the right and power to make use of the savings of the poor workers, Kongahage stressed.

She said that the EPF was administered under a special Act and remained under the Central Bank. Accordingly, not even the Parliament, Cabinet or any other authority could tamper with the EPF.

Merely because the government had run short of funds it had no right to use the savings of poor workers now facing immense hardship, she said demanding that the government stay away from the EPF.

Kongahage pointed out that the savings of over 180,000 garment factory workers were in the EPF. If the government went ahead with its plan to tax the savings of the poor workers it should be treated as a grave crime.