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| Sunday, 9 June 2002 |
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Letters |  |
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Please forward your letters to [email protected] in plain text format within the e-mail message, since as a policy we do not open any attachments.
Soon after I came Ceylon (as it was then) in 1956, I was fortunate to discover Unawatuna, which I later described in a number of my books and used as a background for television programmes. As a result, it was listed as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I was quite alarmed by this development as I feared that one of my favourite places would soon be over-run by tourists! However, on a recent visit, I was much relieved to find that the local authorities have made this virtually impossible. It took my Landcruiser half an hour to cover the two or three kilometres from the main road to the beach, owing to an endless series of potholes and wash-outs. (There was one spot, however where the absence of potholes made it possible to drive for almost 30 feet without difficulty - I call upon the authorities to rectify this omission as quickly as possible). Of course, Unawatuna's inaccessibility is hard luck for the local hotels and boutiques. However, someone has to make sacrifices for the good of the environment. I hope the authorities concerned will keep up the bad - sorry - good work! Sir Arthur C Clarke People in general are dissatisfied about the introduction of withholding tax on interest income, announced by the Government on 22nd March 2002 (budget proposals). The situation is not so gloomy as it was thought. The latest position is that you could claim withholding tax exemption on interest up to Rs. 72,000/- per annum per deposit. Therefore, you could split your deposits into two or three and enjoy the withholding tax exemption. It should be noted that any interest, which is released to you free of withholding tax reduction is included in your assessable income and you are taxable if your entire income is Rs. 240,000/-. e.g. If you have a deposit of Rs. 2.0 million earning 12% interest per annum you could split this deposit into four of Rs. 500,000 each, earning Rs. 60,000 per annum, totalling to Rs. 240,000/- per annum, free of withholding tax. Suppose if you have other income from employment for Rs. 150,000/- per annum, you could very well restrict the deposit income to Rs. 90,000, free of withholding tax by splitting your investment into two or more deposits, and the balance taxable at 10% per annum rate. i.e. Rs. 150,000/- interest income (Rs. 240,000 - Rs. 90,000) will be taxed at 10%, whilst your income from employment of Rs. 150,000/- and interest income of Rs. 90,000/-, totalling to Rs. 240,000/- enjoys tax exemption. Therefore, kindly reallocate your investment to enjoy the full benefit offered by the Government. You could obtain the services of Tax Consultants if necessary. Regrettably, similar concessions are not granted for dividend income, whereas smallholders are liable for 10% tax. Further, in the past dividend received by limited liability companies were received tax free. When quoted public companies declare dividends, limited companies could receive them without any deduction. However, according to the present budget proposal, this is taxable at 10%. This is a severe blow to limited liability companies. I hope the Ministry looks into this matter and grant relief to limited liability companies and smallholders. S. R. Balachandran, In the Sunday Observer of 28.04.01, Mr. K. H. J. Wijedasa claims that the sacred Jaya Siri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura is reckoned as the oldest surviving tree in the world. Yes, Theri Sanghamitta brought the sacred Bo-sapling to Lanka a few years after King Muttu Siva's son King Devanampiya Tissa ascended the throne in Z47 BC. Permit me to acquaint your readers with other claims, (a) There is a board at the foot of a huge mango tree in the precincts of the Thiru Ehamparanatha Swamy Kovil in Kanjipuram, which reads - "This mango tree is more than 3500 years old." (b) There is a tree in Tasmania with base (roots) occupying a ground area of one hectare and claimed to be more than ten thousand five hundred years old. DR. S. K. VADIVALE, The Commerce and Consumer Affairs Ministry's endeavour to keep the loaf of bread under Rs. 10 is most welcome by the non-affluent, specially the urban population whose daily diet mainly constitutes common bread. Bread is the only food item that is directly consumed as it comes from the bakery. A few bakeries have a wholesome and hygienic system of distribution and delivery to groceries and eating houses but methods resorted by majority of bread producers are much to be desired and most alarming healthwise! One could see early morning transport of bread in bulk mostly in three-wheelers and taxies, stacked on bare seats even on foot-rest without any precaution to prevent contamination. These vehicles are normally engaged in the day to transport sundry passengers, including the sick, drunkards, drug addicts etc. Therefore, it is suggested that legal provision be made to compel bread producers to place the loaves in protective bags to prevent contamination until it reaches the consumer. In neighbouring India where bread is not consumed as much as here, law requires bread to be wrapped before release from the bakery! Why not in more health conscious Sri Lanka? W. SAMARANAYAKE, The Parliament Highway from the Roundabout of Bauddhaloka Mawatha / Castle Street, is under modernization for the past one year. In developed countries where architects / town planners design roads they draw plans to avoid unnecessary bends/corners. They do not make mistakes as they drive the stretch as drivers to observe that the design suits the driving condition. If a vehicle is to approach this roundabout from Horton Place on the two lane dual carriageway, there is an unnecessary bend. The vehicle on the right lane has no way to go other than over the roundabout. The drivers of this country for whom road markings are a joke drive blind here. The roundabout is oversized for the road design. The section from the Ayurveda roundabout towards Parliament is being expanded, may be in to a six lane dual carriageway. Some parts of it were laid with premix asphalt. The road surface is now so uneven. The concrete posts supporting electrical wires are still an obstruction on the expanded stretch. The road expansion was started by the previous Government. TISSA JAYAWEERA, Do you have by-stander apathy? One of the most frightening aspects of urban life is the knowledge that if you are singled out for mugging the chances of any one helping you in small burglaries, car thefts,and purse snatching seem to take place without anyone lifting a finger. Most people wonder whether the outcome would be different if they were bystanders to such happenings. Social psychologists have tried to bring this collective inaction to public attention. They believe that bystander apathy is responsible for much of today's street crimes. If bystanders contributed even minimal support to victims, street crime would decrease. Studies by psychologists offer explanations for people's failure to intervene. The difficulty of identifying a crime. Even when the crime is carried out openly, people often fail to define the event as a crime. Bystanders can define even the most blatant acts of shoplifting and theft in alternative ways. Lack of motivation. Once crime is identified, the bystander must want to intervene. For example research suggest that females may be motivated by feelings of empathy with the victim, while males tend to be sensitive to the crime's magnitude. Males are more likely to intervene if the crime is serious than if it is inconsequential. Being asked to guard someone's property also may motivate a bystander to intervene. The presence of others. Bystanders who are alone are more likely to take action than are those who are in a group. Apparently, responsibility for reporting the crime is diffused among group members. However, if a group of bystanders is urged to help, intervention is more likely to take place than it would be if members of one group were to left to make their own decision. Why does a victim of a crime fail to report the incident? Apparently many victims feel that the police will be unable to apprehend the criminal. In addition, the victim may want to avoid the emotional stress of reliving the unpleasant experience. Research show that most victims of crime confer with at least one person before deciding what to do. Clearly, those who are in position to give advice may have an important influence on whether a crime is reported by a victim. And reporting is certainly worthwhile. Even if the criminal is not apprehended, the accumulation of reports may lead to an ultimate improvement in systems of public protection. Dr. R.A.R. Perera , |
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