Tax holiday for Pensioners mooted
The Botswana Civil Service Pensioners Association ( BCPSA) is crafting a raft of proposals for the government’s consideration, as the Association seeks to change the economic and social turf for pensioners.
According to the BCPSA Executive Secretary Mukani Pelaelo, government needs to consider several initiatives to cushion pensioners’ economic and social wellbeing.
Speaking on the sidelines of the BCPSA annual general meeting in Gaborone this week, Pelaelo said the government should enact some laws to increase the recognition of senior citizens. She said the executive of the Association intends to soon compile several proposals and lobby the government. The barrel of suggestions includes subsidies for tariffs and cutting down taxes for pensioners.
“In some countries, there are laws to recognise older people and there are pecks that go with certain ages. For example in some countries those 60 years and above are considered older people and their benefits include a reduction on tariffs and income tax,” Pelaelo pointed out. She said the current statutes of the country have no specific laws that recognise the elderly. “There should be a law that recognises the elderly, especially on issues of taxation, these people ( pensioners) have worked for many years, contributing to development through their taxes. We shall soon approach the government with a lobby list and we believe we can add value to the lives of the elderly,” Pelaelo said. Sharing her sentiments, BCPSA Secretary- General, Tsumake Tsumake said Botswana Communications and
Regulatory Authority ( BOCRA) should facilitate for mobile network operators to consider helping the pensioners to bridge the digital gap through special packages for the senior citizens. “Some considerations should be made for those that have reached 60 to qualify for a discount on communication tariffs, it may not necessarily be a law but something that companies can ponder over,” Tsumake suggested. Meanwhile, when addressing pensioners at the AGM, the Minister of Communications, Knowledge, and Technology, Thulagano Segokgo said there is a need for the elderly to receive access to the digital world and help them become active participants to enrich their lives. “We have noted that the digital revolution has evolved faster than the acquisition of skills for most elderly people. Even to some who may believe to have some knowledge, most of them are not able to fully utilise their digital equipment such as cellphones, computers or laptops and tablets,” Segokgo noted. Segokgo said the provision of internet services is also not equitably distributed, even where it is available, such as in cities and big villages. “It is not everybody who can afford the fees for both installation and maintenance,” the minister said, adding that the government is committed to ensuring digital equity by increasing the geographical and population coverage of mobile signals, expanding the footprint of fixed services to reach all destinations.“We will also strive to look at other policy measures we can adopt to reduce the input costs for operators and in turn reduce tariffs,” the Minister promised. He added that his ministry will pursue a strategy of educating elders through radio and television media with a particular focus on the opportunities of ICTs and how to use them effectively.