Leader of the House Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said on Tuesday that not everyone should pay taxes in return for opening tax files.

"In Sri Lanka, very few of those who have to pay taxes pay taxes," Premajayantha said. "We don't have to pay all the taxes just because the files are opened. But when the files are opened, we know how much is in this net. Otherwise, what happens is that the people who have to pay taxes fail to pay taxes."

Premjayanth also said that people who have to pay taxes are continuously evading the payment of taxes.

"Since the time of the king, the welfare programs are implemented with the income from the country's taxes," he said. "But now, the people who have to pay taxes are not paying taxes. This is a serious problem."

Premjayanth's statement comes at a time when Sri Lanka is facing a severe economic crisis. The country is struggling to pay its debts and has been forced to default on some of its loans. The government has also imposed a number of austerity measures, including tax increases, in an effort to address the crisis.