Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has called on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to stop the withdrawal of the Simplified Value Added Tax (SVAT) scheme, warning it would seriously harm Sri Lanka’s export-oriented industries. Speaking during a meeting with IMF Mission Chief Evan Papageorgiou and IMF Resident Representative Martha Woldemichael at his Colombo office, Premadasa said exporters are already struggling and removing SVAT without an alternative scheme will deal a severe blow to the sector. He added that Sri Lanka urgently needs a focused, sustainable programme to reduce poverty, pointing out that nearly 50 percent of the population now live in…

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