Sajith Premadasa says the rich will pay more if he becomes President

Sajith Premadasa told The Associated Press in an interview that his party has already started discussions with the IMF to find ways to ease the tax burden on the people.

Sajith Premadasa said on Thursday that if he comes to power he will renegotiate with the International Monetary Fund the 2022 economic reforms package to ensure that the rich pay more taxes and the poor see their conditions improve.

Sajith Premadasa told The Associated Press in an interview that his party has already started discussions with the IMF to find ways to ease the tax burden on the people.

“We will be embarking on the third path, the middle path, the path is where wealth is created, the country grows and the wealth is equitably distributed,” Premadasa said.

He said there needs to be “fundamental changes” to the current agreement between the IMF and Sri Lanka’s government but those should be in a more “humanistic manner” to ensure that the burden on the people is lessened.

“And if there are burdens that have to be imposed, the super-rich and the rich have to disproportionately take a bigger share of the burden rather than the working men and women of Sri Lanka.”