Cape Town - The deadline for your tips to Trevor has passed. Thank you for sending your suggestions and News24 promises to deliver your tips to the man himself, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel.
Here are some of your Tips for Trevor.
Maria Ryke says: - It is on every one's lips that we should distribute wealth. Is it really necessary that the lotto should pay one winner more than R5m at a time? When the payout is that high, why not distribute, on a pro rata basis, to the winners with three, four or five correct numbers?
- I also agree that personal tax must be abolished. A handful of us pay all the taxes, while some get away with murder.
Alan Mansfield says: - Taxpayers should be allowed to deduct medical expenses paid on behalf of those below the tax threshold. For example: on behalf of an unemployed family member, a maid, etc. Such taxpayers are in effect relieving the State of the responsibility and expense - and valid proof of such payment will be readily available.
Andries vd Berg says: - The answer is very simple indeed. The average salary for a normal worker is between R2 000 and R7 000. Take this and balance it with some government officials' salaries.
- They get ridicilously high salaries. While they collect big salaries and drive the latest german-made cars, others barely make their (basic) payments.
JK says: - Trevor, I suggest that you bring down the tax bracket of people earning less than R50K to 15% of their earnings. Abollish tax on meat, fish, greens, milk, maize products and fruit.
- Gasoline prices are killing the economy - take a tax cut there as well. What about self serve service stations? No double taxation on pensions and annuities. Give a larger old age pension, and launch toddler care programs for working moms and dads.
Francois Vorster - A higher tax on cigarettes and alcohol - especially all types of beer. More money to our police force and less to Mr Yengeni and his dodgy coleagues in parliament. More money to infrastructure and community projects.
- More money to the relevant traffic departments so they can control the lawless taxis. Less public holidays? See what you can do.
Gert Naude - Register one or more public companies per province with names such as 'The Gauteng Social Upliftment Company Ltd'.
- Management to be drawn from skilled and experienced government staff. Projects to have a positive long term return for the country. Suggested projects to include: road and fence maintenance, refurbishment of government buildings, Training and deployment of National Security Service to police urban and rural areas, training and deployment of National Medical Service to alleviate the shortage of unskilled and semi-skilled manpower in hospitals, Training and deployment of National Provincial Service to assist in assorted provincial shortages, eg schools, and traffic departments.
Kerman Ackerman - Leave interest rates for now and spend more money on increasing the police force numbers. Money is secondary to safety and security, because crime has a direct affect on everything and every one.
Phoebe - I am a 69-year-old woman who is forced to work again because during the past 25 years my funds have been blocked in South Africa in compliance with Exchange Control Regulations.
- The value of the rand has declined to a point where I can no longer rely on my South African income, which was planned to be my pension.
- If you can find it in your heart to consider those who are suffering because of Exchange Control Regulations, allow pensioners over the age of 65, who have had funds blocked for 20 or more years, to repatriate either all or at leas up to R500 000 of their blocked funds to enable these expatriates to enjoy some of the fruits of their labour.
Sacha Van Zyl - Is it possible to bring down tax on the middle class and lower class (PAYE) say by 5% and 8% respectively, and add say a 2% increase on VAT?
Sarel Henn - I want to suggest that you cut tax on cigarettes by 1%. I feel strongly that we suffered the most, cigarettes do not break up marraiges or lead to violence. Heavier taxes on alchol will be much better.
- To cut tax on all basic food. To implement a penalty tax on all major food chain stores for not keeping the food prices down, they are getting richer and richer and we the workers are getting poorer and poorer. - Special tax (20%) on all rich people who have a bank account with more than R5m in their accounts.
- We pay taxes to keep prisoners in jail. Why can't they be used to work on our roads? Why cant they be used to remove rubbish and clean streets under supervison? At least we will then know why we are paying for them to be in jail.
Gerrit van Breda
- Why don't you abolish all taxes (Import duties, VAT, Personal tax, Company tax and any other tax there might be) and introduce a single tax of +- 10% to 15% per banking transaction.
- This means that whenever a deposit or a withdrawal is made at a bank, it will be subject to this tax.
Source: www.news24.com