42% WAGE AND SALARY TAX IS SILENTLY KILLING WORKING CLASS PEOPLE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA

To: PRIME MINISTER JAMES MARAPE

We suffer in silence because we need to work and provide for our family and for survival. A lot of working class are struggling and yet the government doesn't care about it. Yes we do understand, government needs money to run the country and tax is one major revenue that funds the annual budgets. Poverty level is very high, beggars every where on the streets, high level of law and order problems, corruption, and the lists goes on and on. 47 years of political independence but we are still struggling financially. Can the government look at other sources of generating revenue and reduce the Salary and Wage Tax from 42% to at least 30% maximum. This will relieve majority of the working population. Meaning people will have at least enough money in their pockets.

by: Jeremy Rainald  - Human Resources Manager at Petroleum Industry.

Dear Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape,

On behalf of all the working class Papua New Guineans, can you consider reducing the Salary and Wage Tax (SW Tax) please.

The current Salary and  Wage Tax system administered by Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) is killing the hard working population of this country. We work hard for 2 weeks, then comes fortnight, first thing first, we pay tax, followed by 6% super. When we go to shops, we ended up paying another 10% Goods Service Tax (GST).

Say if someone pays 42% (which is maximum) as SW Tax, then another 10% GST when going to shops, etc...all in all he/she pays 52% tax. Still if we add on the 6% Super contribution which is mandatory, it adds up too 58%. In other words, 58% of one's salary is gone during pay week, we only have 42% of salary to survive through for another 2 weeks.

Now considering other expenses like accommodation, school fees, loan deductions, etc., you can already know it's very tough working and living in Papua New Guinean. Inflation is very high.

We suffer in silence because we need to work and provide for our family and for survival.

A lot of working class are struggling and yet the government doesn't care about it. Yes we do understand, government needs money to run the country and tax is one major revenue that funds the annual budgets.

Poverty level is very high, beggars every where on the streets, high level of law and order problems, corruption, and the lists goes on and on. 47 years of political independence but we are still struggling financially.

Can the government look at other sources of generating revenue and reduce the Salary and Wages' Tax from 42% to at least 30% maximum. This will relieve majority of the working population. Meaning people will have at least enough money in their pockets.

A lot of those State Owned Entities are incompetent to generate revenues and to pay dividends annually to state, they are liabilities. About time putting those CEOs on notice to start generating revenues and paying dividends. If not boot them out. Improve the public service machinery and get them to operate as private sectors for maximum output.

Let's not rely on Salary and Wage Tax as main source of revenue to fund the annual government budget, looks at other options to generate revenue. And cut down on borrowing loans after loans too.

A lot to write about but I'll pen off here for now.