Dear Editor,
Wouldn't it be better if government scrapped the current PAYE (Pay As You Earn) tax system in favour of PAYC (Pay As You Can)?
Like insurance premiums, tax should be determined on an individual basis.
For example, why should a teacher working in a remote village where there is no tar road, no running water, no electricity, no hospital or clinic within a walking distance, be charged the same tax as a teacher in a big city? The former enjoys very limited government services while the latter enjoys more.
People with more dependants, single mothers, single income households and others can obviously afford less than their counterparts at the same salary level.
It could also help to give up to six months tax exemption to young people who have just started working, people on their first job after retrenchment, women on maternity leave, people who have lost a spouse or child, etc.
Parents who send their children to university should get tax rebates because their children will not be a liability to the state in future.
On the other hand, parents who raise their children to be "scum of the earth" must pay more tax. Serial offenders on our roads must pay more tax.
We live in difficult times that demand innovative thinking and finding new ways of doing things.
We need an equitable but sustainable tax system without compromising service delivery. We need a tax system that encourages and rewards citizens' contributions to society.
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