MP Susan Jackson On Taxi Payroll Relief
“This year’s PLP Throne Speech promised taxi owners a payroll tax relief, but legislation still has to be tabled and passed before the relief can be meted,” Shadow Transport Minister Susan Jackson said.
Ms Jackson said, “Taxi owners expected the tax relief in September, but were met with resistance from TCD staff. Now there’s confusion whether the reduced annual relicensing from $1000 to $600 was honoured in September illegally or if taxi owners paid the higher tax after a false promise.
“The PLP government has dragged its heels and made promises to taxi and minibus owners without amending the law. Why can’t the Transport Minister see the bigger picture and update the law and regulation for the public service industry?
“Instead, the Burt administration made piecemeal promises, further confusing the industry and not satisfying the government’s responsibility to review the Motor Car Act 1951.
“It’s been five years since the PLP published the Transport Green Paper with over 80 recommendations with only two recommendations honoured: new buses and payment system.
“The Minister has failed to legally deliver on PLP promises.”
Taxi drivers will be paying less than $2 per day in payroll tax. How much does the first passenger of the day pay to warm the seat?
Who is making up for the shortfall? Burt has been annoucing all manner of vote getting financial trinkets in the past few months. He has not announced any cut backs in Government spending/wages.
Where is the money coming from? That balanced budget went out of the window the day after budget day. Dipping into the Sinking Fund again is he? Is anything left of that emergency use fund that the UBP initiated and contributed to faithfully in every budget?