The case filed by the Members of Parliament Entitlement Commission (PEC) to defend tax-free salaries of MPs at the Court of Appeal cost taxpayers more than SBD$100,000.00, a source had revealed.
PEC lost the case in High Court after it was ruled that tax free salaries for MPs and all other entitlements in Regulation 2015, which was amended and awarded to MPs by the PEC was unconstitutional, therefore null and void.
The court also declared regulations that gave tax exemption to MPs are also null and void, adding the Regulations which made provision for the various entitlements for the Chairman of the Government caucus null and void.
In the16-pages judgment, it said the amendment to the regulations 33 and 34 of the 2015 regulation not only makes MP’s salaries tax free but makes the final inclusion it seems so that almost everything that MPs now receive are tax free, including allowances.
This High Court Judgement handed down by the Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer did not go down well with PEC, thus they pursue further to challenge the matter in the Court of Appeal, which is more than SBD$100,000.00, which was paid to Sol Law that represents PEC in court.
By AATAI JOHN
