Assurance from President: Medical specialists put off strike plans

Sri Lankan medical specialists, planning to withdraw from private practice tomorrow (Monday, June 18) in protest over unfair taxes, have temporarily called off their action following a “productive” meeting on Friday with President Maithripala Sirisena.

“President Sirisena requested us to submit tomorrow (June 18) afternoon a joint letter from the four stakeholders, representatives of whom attended the meeting, detailing our grievances,” the President of the Association of Medical Specialists ( AMS), Dr. Sunil Wijayasinghe told the Sunday Times yesterday.

Accordingly, the four stakeholders have decided to submit the requested letter tomorrow and review the situation on Wednesday,

he said, adding that the discussions with the President were very cordial. The President understood our plight and assured “us that he will discuss our issues” with Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera and other officials, the AMS President said.

The issues that they raised were “sadaranai” ( fair), the President had told them, other sources present at the meeting, said.

The stakeholders, representing

the 1,700 medical specialists, who attended the meeting, were the Government Medical Officers’ Association ( GMOA), the Independent Medical Specialists’ Association and the medical specialists attached to the universities.

The meeting had been attended by the Inland Revenue Commissioner- General, Ivan Dissanayake and Finance Ministry officials.

The Sunday Times learns that the medical specialists put forward the following requests:

Bring down the maximum professional tax rates to 12% [this can be done while introducing a large middle tax bracket (Rs. 25 million) as before]

Make the Disturbance Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance and Extra Duty allowance tax free, as before

Remove the value added tax (VAT) on private healthcare (like the VAT on outpatient department care provided by private hospitals being removed on the request of private hospital owners)

Remove the VAT collector registration

from medical specialists

Grant the medical specialists the same transport allowance given to other SL 3 Grade government officials.

Include other professionals in the tax net with the same vigour

The medical specialists told the President they were of the “firm” belief that a reasonable amount of tax should be paid by all citizens who get an income above a certain level, while pointing out that the government should have an efficient mechanism to collect taxes from all those eligible to pay taxes. Of course, the state must properly utilize the collected tax, it was noted.

During the discussions, the Sunday Times learns that the Finance Ministry officials had asked the medical specialists whether they could suggest ways and means of increasing the government’s income. The medical specialists had then replied that they are not economists to make those suggestions within a short period, but they could easily suggest how the government could reduce expenditure.

The medical specialists had pointed out that the same amount of money the government was hoping to collect from medical specialists by increasing taxes could be saved by cutting down on certain government expenditure.