THE Indigenous Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Charles Dausabea has described the way retirement benefits being taxed as ‘non-sense.’
Mr. Dausabea is calling on the current government to revoke this practice because it will cripple the very people who have been serving the country and paying their tax contribution over the years.
He said the retirement benefits should be rightly belongs to the retired officer to begin his/her own life after retiring from work.
He said whoever advice for the government of the day to tax retirement benefits is not thinking properly.
He said to see the government of the day act upon this ignorant advice to tax retirement benefits is a sign of things are not straight in this country.
“Workers who think of retiring after so many years of serving the people of this country are looking forward to receive their retirement payment in full so that they can start venturing into their own small business.”
However, after the government of the day acts on the new advice since September last year which Mr. Dausabea believes comes from the Economic Reform Unit (ERU), he said this is a inhuman taxing which left nothing for the worker and his/her children.
He said some workers are working for 30-40 years serving the country, and the retirement benefits should be rightly theirs, which the government should not tax it under any given circumstances.
With that, Mr. Dausabea said it is very unfair and disturbing to see parliamentarians who only serve the country for only one term in parliament entitled to receive $400,000.00 each year, while the poor workers of the country who have worked all their lives got their everything taxed, including; their salaries, holiday allowance, and now the retirement entitlement.
He said this new tax system is killing the working class people of Solomon Islands and should be abolished as soon as possible.
By BIRA’AU WILSON SAENI
In Auki
