Government to remove VAT on school books: President

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has announced that the administration will remove the Value Added Tax (VAT) currently imposed on school textbooks and educational exercise books. The move aims to make essential learning materials more affordable for families across the island.

Addressing a public forum, the President stated that education is a fundamental right and that taxing school supplies places an undue burden on low- and middle-income households. He confirmed that formal fiscal mechanisms for the tax removal will be presented in the government's forthcoming national Budget.

The announcement has been welcomed by educational advocates, teachers' unions, and parents, who had previously raised concerns over the escalating costs of stationery and educational publications following tax restructuring measures.