They say it is unfair for government to tax them twice as they have already paid tax on their earnings and are querying the criteria used to effect the taxes and increase monthly pay outs.
Uniformed pensioners of the rank of major and above did not get increments last month as government said it was working on special high payment scales for them. Last month’s payslips indicated that tax ranged from $3,00 to $60,00 per month for those receiving $250-$600 per month.
“Government should look for humane ways of sourcing revenue instead of milking poor pensioners, who contributed heavily to the tax man’s purse during their working days,” said PUTZ President, Wisdom Tawanda Zhanda.
PUTZ spokesperson Alec Bamu expressed disappointment at government unwillingness to open dialogue with pensioners, saying previous requests for meetings with Ministers for Labour and Social Welfare had been ignored.
“Government should not tax someone who is not earning an income like a pensioner. The powers that be are doing pensioners a disservice,” said Bamu, urging government to leave pensioners alone and source revenue elsewhere.
He said pensioners were the most affected by the liquidity crunch which forced government to shift pay dates at short notice. “Harare and other towns were built from contributions made by workers to pension funds but they have nothing to show for it. “Pension Fund executives and other officials were living large at the expense of pensioners.”
Wing Cmdr Tafuma Vunganayi (Rtd) said instead of taxing pensioners, government and other employers should arm workers due for retirement with income generating skills and some project capital.
Post published in: News