The government is using intimidatory tactics to stifle dissent ahead of reintroducing the new VAT amendment Bill in parliament traders’ told The Island.
On the 8th of August the shops of three traders in Pettah who had taken part in the anti-VAT hartal were sealed by the Customs Department. Asian Traders, Anglo Shirts and Romax all on Keyzer Street were the first three shops to be sealed.
These were small establishments two of them being approximately 10X8, 10X15 and Asian Traders being the largest – a 10X15 three storied shop. Customs officers had arrived, and apparently checked the stocks and taken an inventory and asked for the documentation relating to the goods all of which had been provided, but they had sealed the shops anyway.
After having unsuccessfully tried to get the matter resolved with the Customs Department on the 9th, the affected traders had approached president Maithripala Sirisena through an official attached to the president’s media division and the president issued a letter to the Customs directing them to look into their grievances. However the traders say that the Finance Ministry blocked any relief being given. The traders who were Tamils had gone to see ministers Mano Ganesan and Digambaram, to get their issues resolved.
A further meeting was held on August 10 at the Parliament complex, where the traders were given a telling off by UNP politicians. Later these traders had told their colleagues that they had to give voice cuts to video crews sent by the government saying that VAT was a good thing and that they were prepared to pay not just 15% but even 20% as VAT. The traders had said that they complied but these video clips have not been made public yet.
Then on August 11, Prasad Textiles in Piliyandala, belonging to the president of the Federation of Traders’ Associations, Indika Dress Point in Anuradhapura, belonging to the Secretary of the Federation of Traders’ Associations and Hemara Rich Look in Galle had their stores sealed. The Galle establishment has been closed because the anti-VAT agitation had started in Galle.
In addition to this Colombo Shirts on Keyzer Street, which belongs to the vice president of the Federation of Traders’ Associations was also sealed. The owner of Indika Dress Point in Anuradhapura the secretary of the FTA, is said to be a close protégé of Duminda Dissanayake and had been the principal financier of Maithripala Sirisena’s campaign in Anuradhapura. The owners of Prasad Textiles in Piliyandala and Hemara Rich Look in Galle are likewise said to have played a leading role in financing the UNP campaign in their areas.
Though Colombo Shirts in Pettah was sealed by the Customs the traders’ associations say that it has no imported items on sale and apparently buys its entire stock from local manufacturers. Traders’ Associations complain that this is a well orchestrated witch hunt designed to intimidate the trading community and cow them into submission before the VAT Bill is reintroduced in parliament.
Traders say that they will be making a complaint to the Human Rights Commission and filing fundamental rights petitions in the Supreme Court against the repression launched by the government and that they will take steps to inform the public and the international community of the harassment they have had to face.
Courtesy:The Island