Taxes on wheat flour reduced from Rs. 36 to Rs. 8 per kg

The Government has removed the consolidated Tax of Rs 36 per kilogram of imported wheat flour and replaced it with the Special Commodity Levy (SCL) of Rs.8 per kg.

The Special Commodity Levy will come into effect from December 14 through a special Gazette notification issued by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa as Finance, Economy and Policy Development, Minister.

 So far, in the country only wheat grain was imported and milled to meet the country’s need for wheat flour for consumption, a statement from the Finance Ministry said.

As per the decision  by the Cabinet of Ministers last week with the introduction of SCL of Rs 8 per KG of wheat flour the traders could import wheat flour directly to sell them at a competitive price in the local market.
 
In order to control the increasing prices of rice in the market the Cabinetlast week decided to set a maximum retail price of Rs 98/ kg of Samba and Nadu rice while reducing the duty of wheat flour enabling the importation of wheat flour directly.