Update: VAT (Amendment) Bill passed

The Third Reading of the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill was passed in Parliament a short while ago with 100 MPs voting in favour and 55 against. Accordingly, the Third Reading was passed by a majority of 45 votes. 

Earlier, the Second Reading of the VAT (Amendment) Bill was passed by a majority of 57 votes. 

The motion received 98 votes in favour and 41 against. 

The vote was held after the government said it was opposed to further debating the Bill, accusing the opposition of scuttling the debate on the VAT (Amendment) Bill scheduled for yesterday (10). That debate ended abruptly when Parliament was adjourned due to lack of quorum. 

From the opposition side, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Vadivel Suresh voted with the government in support of the Bill. On the government side, former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe voted against the Bill. 

Opposition MPs vehemently protested against the move to pass the Bill without further debate, arguing that the government had agreed this morning to continue with the debate today after the conclusion of today's Committee Stage debate of Budget 2024.