A 10 pc reduction has been made now, while the tax has been raised on petrol-powered three-wheelers, comparatively less harmful to environment, and the not-so-environmentally-friendly three-wheelers run on diesel brought down, says Welgama.

He said this was worse than ‘showing younger sister and giving elder sister in marriage’ and likened it to ‘showing younger sister and giving the grandmother in marriage.’

Meanwhile, minister Ravi Karunanayake said yesterday (04) it was a difficult decision taken by the government to raise the taxes.

It will only be a short-term exercise, according to him.